STEM Journeys of Two Young Women of Color – Part 2 – Podcast Episode 219 | Classnotes Podcast 219

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Classnotes Podcast (February 7, 2022). In this second of two podcast episodes, Dr. Stephanie Garcia talks with two young women of color who are passionate about their pursuit of STEM.

CSO Alumna Isela, who identifies as a Chicana, is a sophomore at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She describes her transition from a senior graduating high school during the pandemic to a first-generation student at a large Hispanic-serving university. She describes her experience with virtual and in-person learning and offers advice to incoming college students, first-generation students.

IDRA’s STEM intern, Adriana, describes her current experiences as a Hispanic female in male-dominated STEM courses in high school. She asks Isela questions including how she stayed connected with peers and mentors during virtual learning due to COVID.

Stephanie directs IDRA’s Texas Chief Science Officers program and VisionCoders program.

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Show length: 18:32 min.

Resources

IDRA Texas Chief Science Officers Program

CSO International website

We Create Hope Within Our Communities – Before and During COVID-19, Texas Chief Science Officers Advocate for STEM, by Elizabeth Alexander, Shreya Chaudhary & Isela Herrera, IDRA Newsletter, June-July 2020

Computer Science = Problem Solving – IDRA Infographic

Alamo STEM Ecosystem website

First Gen Scholars – non-profit that works to support first gen college students

Videos: Student Panelists & Keynoters – Future Inventors, Innovators and Entrepreneurs, at the STEM Learning Ecosystems Community of Practice Convening, March 2, 2020. Two CSO students were among the six speakers.

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Show Notes

  • Isela recounts her experience building relationships virtually through the CSO program as a high school senior in 2020, when the pandemic arrived and prevented face-to-face meetings.

  • Isela explains how online learning during COVID actually helped smooth her transition into college.

  • Adriana asks for Isela’s advice to graduating high school seniors and incoming college freshmen. Isela shares how first-gen students can encourage and support each teacher and talks about the benefits of working with a mentor. She also touches on the importance of empathy within first-gen families.