Being a minority female in STEM

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Early Beginnings

My love for science started at a young age. I was born in the Caribbean and raised by a single mother in  Brooklyn. I am the product of the New York City public school system from kindergarten to college.   My mother wanted the best for me so I was bused to school in a better neighborhood to get a quality education.  She used to take me to her finance job with her every Saturday. I used to guess the answer to random math problems on the calculator to keep my self-occupied. This is where my love of numbers began.

As a girl, I had no idea that being a scientist because I was never exposed to it. I only had five female science teachers in all my schooling, only two were a minority. My high school Chemistry teacher exposed me to the love of science. He was a very energetic man who was passionate about Chemistry. I decided to be a Pre-med major but realized that I really didn’t want to be a doctor. I was stressed out with trying to manage school and home life. I decided to major in Chemistry because I loved the inquiry and discovery in the field.

My mother always said. “Just finish school. Your education is one thing that no one can take away from you.”
This one of my mother’s Caribbean sayings that stuck with me for the rest of my life. Thankfully my mother supported me in my education and career goals.

College Struggle

I had other friends and family discourage me from majoring in Chemistry. They said what can you do with that degree.  Maybe I should just become a nurse.  That’s the most common profession in the Caribbean community for females. I didn’t doubt myself and stayed focused on my goals.

STEM careers have been male-dominated for so long so it’s difficult for young women to find a place. Women are underrepresented in STEM careers, despite making up nearly half of the country’s workforce and half of the college-educated workforce. I realized as I progressed in my studies, I saw fewer females and students of color.  I knew that I had to prove myself even more by studying for my courses. The key was to form study groups with my peers and to learn from each other.  I also joined the Black Science student union and other minority research programs. I was able to engage with other students and feel a sense of community.  It helped increase my self-esteem in myself because I realized we were all going through the stress of STEM courses.

Was it worth it losing sleep and stressing out?

YES!

I wouldn’t change my career path for anything in the world.  It was worth it.

The Job World

There is clearly a gender and minority gap in the sciences. I still had to continue to validate my skills in every profession that I had. I was always seen as the young, quiet Black female. It took awhile for my colleagues to observe my critical thinking skills. You may continue to face discrimination in the sciences but just stay focused on your goals.

My proudest moment was when my students told me ” I was one of her first female science teachers and I inspired her to study science.” Her father told her there are no female engineers and that she will never find a job. I was able to convince her she could accomplish anything she wants. Her father’s opinion shouldn’t influence her.  I told her to let her father read a few books with inspiring women scientists and engineers.

Inspire the youth 

Young girls need to have a better role model and to be inspired to pursue their passions.  Expose your children to science and math at a young age. There is no such thing as a ‘male’ or ‘female’  career.  Teach the young girls to love and believe in themselves so they can empower the world.