2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Building a robust and diverse STEM workforce is essential for fostering innovation and addressing global challenges (Alper, 2016; Benish, 2018). This qualitative phenomenological research study investigates the experiences of academically talented, low-income STEM students participating in a scholarship and support program at a community college. The study examines how these students engage with program resources and navigate their educational journeys within STEM disciplines.

Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of a sense of belonging and self-efficacy, this research situates student decision-making within an intricate ecosystem of competing priorities faced by S-STEM students as they balance coursework, transfer opportunities, and career aspirations (Wang & Wickersham, 2016). The research is guided by two central questions:

1. How do the financial, academic, and social support elements of the program influence students' decisions throughout their STEM pathways?
2. In what ways does the institutional context shape STEM students' decision-making processes?

This ongoing study aims to bridge the gap between community college literature, policy, and practice by examining how the National Science Foundation-funded S-STEM program facilitates student success in navigating their pathways to and through community college STEM majors.

As we near the completion of data analysis, two significant themes have emerged: (1) the critical role of intentional programmatic support systems in fostering student identity and a sense of belonging, which are vital for STEM success; and (2) the diverse influences and factors impacting STEM decision-making related to career pathways and post-community college experiences.

While these findings highlight key insights, they also underscore the necessity for future research focused on enhancing support initiatives that broaden participation and facilitate the transition of community college students into the STEM educational pipeline and ultimately into industry roles. Through this research, the Community College S-STEM Network (CCSN) aims to develop and disseminate knowledge that will continuously inform researchers and practitioners about the decision-making processes and pathways of academically talented, low-income STEM students, thereby contributing to a more equitable and effective STEM workforce development strategy

Alper, J. (Ed.). (2016). Developing a national STEM workforce strategy: A workshop summary. National Academies Press.

Benish, S. (2018). Meeting STEM workforce demands by diversifying STEM. Journal of Science Policy & Governance, 13(1), 1-6.

Wickersham, K., & Wang, X. (2016). What’s life got to do with it? The role of life experiences in shaping female community college students’ transfer intent in STEM fields of study. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 40(12), 1001-1012.