"I Want to Make Them Proud": How Parents of Color Influence the STEM Pathways of Students of Color

• In Event: Students of Color and Family Impact on Their Educational Experiences

Abstract

According to Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce , STEM will account for the second-fastest growing occupation sector in the United States by 2018 (Carnevale, Smith, & Melton, 2014). As racial/ethnic “minorities” becomes the college-age majority, there is a need to facilitate access and success for Students of Color in STEM. To this aim, this exploratory study seeks to better understand what informs the initial educational and career aspirations of Students of Color in STEM. Findings from this study revealed that parents and families activated, nurtured, and/or extended the aspirational, navigational, and social capital amongst students.

Authors

• Blanca E. Rincón, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Erica Fernández, University of Connecticut