MEET OUR GRADUATES: Jordan Moment Finds Fertile Ground for Research at RIC

Jordan Moment graduated​ with dual degrees in political science and public administration, and he is a McNair scholar. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the goal of the McNair Scholars Program is to increase degree completion among first-generation and underrepresented students in higher education and to prepare them to earn doctoral degrees through involvement in undergraduate research and graduate school enrollment.​

Moment said his research work on the French and Haitian revolutions, under the supervision of a faculty mentor, has prepared him for graduate school. “I also liked being part of a cohort of mutually supportive peers who were all working to achieve the same goals,” said Moment.

Based on his high academic achievements and graduate-level research, Moment was accepted into a highly competitive, top-tier institution – the Maxwell School at Syracuse. Unfortunately, he had to turn down their offer because the financial aid package was insufficient.

“Funding graduate school,” he said, “is a major issue for many underrepresented students. I got into the best program in the country, but the financial aid they offered was very limited. For many students without means, the cost of tuition and fees make higher education inaccessible. One of the benefits of the McN​air program was that my graduate application fees were waived, which saved me approximately $400.”

Moment was later accepted into the graduate political science program at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University. He was offered a financial package that will cover half of his tuition. He will be attending in the fall and intends to go on to earn a Ph.D. in political science, with focus on international relations.

In looking back on his college career, Moment said, “I think college is important for everyone. College is one of those weird words that’s a noun, a verb and an adjective. It describes this whole scope of life between 18 and 22, where you grow as a person. It’s more than an education, it’s an experience. It’s about interacting with your peers and shooting the breeze after class with your professors. It’s about getting actively involved in the campus community.”​

​During his tenure at Rhode Island College, Moment took full advantage of campus life. He was​ a member of Alpha Pi Sigma, the National Political Science Honor Society; he was deputy news director and DJ for RIC Radio WXIN and NIXM; he was sports director for Anchor TV; and he was a member of the Latin American Student Organization.​​

​“Jordan Moment is the epitome of what higher education, combined with a bright mind and a good work ethic, can produce,” says his political science professor, Robyn Linde​.