UCLA School of Education and Information Studies

Women of color (WOC) remain underrepresented in the STEM workforce due to systemic racism and sexism. Using Yosso’s (2005) anti-deficit Community Cultural Wealth framework, this study quantitatively explored factors associated with STEM career aspiration persistence among senior WOC undergraduates who entered college with initial STEM career aspirations. Drawing on longitudinal data from the Higher Education Research Institute’s (HERI) 2015 Freshman Survey (TFS) and 2019 College Senior Survey (CSS), we analyzed a sample of 1,460 WOC graduating seniors across 42 institutions using logistic regression. Results revealed that aspirational and navigational capital played pivotal roles in maintaining STEM career aspirations. Specifically, WOC who expressed strong desires to make scientific contributions were significantly more likely to maintain STEM career aspirations. Additionally, WOC who participated in undergraduate research and STEM support programs had significantly higher likelihoods of reporting STEM career plans at the end of their senior year. By contrast, WOC with strong resistant capital, particularly those committed to social change and community leadership, were less likely to sustain their interest in pursuing STEM careers. We conclude by discussing several recommendations for practice and future research.