Underrepresented students benefit from having role models in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields.

Careers involving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics have a promising future. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2020 STEM occupations paid more than double that of non-STEM occupations, on average, and those jobs are expected to grow rapidly through 2030. Yet women are vastly underrepresented in the field: In 2019, 73% of STEM workers were men. Additionally, Hispanic and Black workers represented only 8% and 9% of the STEM field, despite making up 17% and 11% of the workforce overall, according to data from the Pew Research Center. For girls, interest in STEM seems to decline as they get older. Thirty-one percent of middle school girls believe that jobs requiring coding and programming are “not for them,” according to a 2018 Microsoft Philanthropies report. That percentage jumps to 40% in high school, while 58% of girls count themselves out of a job in these fields beginning in college. Part of the reason interest in STEM can wane is a lack of exposure to role models who share similar identities or backgrounds to students, experts say. However, girls who know a woman in a STEM profession are more likely to feel empowered when they engage in STEM activities.

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