By Tayhana Taylor, World News Editor
Pew Research reported that African Americans only make up 9% of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) field; at Saint Leo University, minority students are aspiring to bridge that gap.
Safia Mendez, a freshman at Saint Leo recently made the decision to transition from being a marketing major to pursue a Bachelor of Science in computer science.
“Being a minority in STEM is something that is somewhat new to me, coming from Jamaica, because I’ve been in spaces where I’m used to people looking like me […] I definitely feel motivated to bridge the racial gap in the stem industry […] As I work on putting myself more out there, I hope that I’ll be able to encourage others to choose STEM careers and let them know that there is always a seat at the table,” said Mendez.
Mendez spoke to the adversities she anticipates facing in the STEM industry as not only a person of African descent, but also the mere fact that she is a woman.
“I’ll definitely face adversities in STEM […] not only as a person of African descent, but also as a young woman […] we live in a world with very diverse people who come with diverse thoughts and biases. Being aware of this, I am only encouraged more to walk in my power and with my head held high,” said Mendez.
Mendez mentioned that the community at Saint Leo has helped foster her love for mathematics, as well as being an anchor of emotional support, and that the faculty members are always willing to offer guidance. While Mendez acknowledges the useful resources for STEM students at Saint Leo, she firmly believes there is always room for improvement.
“I would be delighted to see more STEM workshops for students hosted by members of the alumni who were STEM majors. I think this could offer great guidance to student like myself on how to transition into the world of work when we leave Saint Leo,” said Mendez.
Oftentimes, students who are pursuing STEM-related degrees have always had a natural liking for the field; some may describe themselves as being naturally “Tech-Savvy.”
Bria Williams, another computer science major, and a freshman at Saint Leo University, described her love for her field of study as one that is filled with passion.
“I have always been good at tech-related things like decrypting, coding, and trying to remove computer viruses […] My aim, one day, is to become one of the Black women CEOs of a Tech company.”
Williams is motivated to use being a minority as an advantage instead of allowing it to be an obstacle.
“I feel intimated, sometimes, because currently, the field has fewer people of color or people that look like me […] but I also feel confident because I know that, once I put my mind to something, I can always achieve it […] I don’t give up.”
Williams has plans to enter the software engineering field or become an ethical hacker for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Organizations hire ethical hackers to conduct authorized hacking to identify the vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the company’s security system. This prevents illegal hackers from gaining unauthorized access to the company’s files.
According to statistics from the White House, in 2014 it was reported that “members of racial and ethnic minority groups are projected to become the majority of America’s population in the next 30 years […] however, today they account for just 28 percent of America’s STEM workers.”
Damion Drackett, a biomedical and health sciences major and a freshman at Saint Leo, has plans to become a medical surgeon because of his love and passion for science and human anatomy.
“I have actually never viewed myself as a minority […] I am not very concerned about the adversities that come with being a Black man in STEM because there are adversities in every career field, even if I chose not to study a STEM-related major. I feel confident and motivated to pursue this area of study; the Saint Leo Community is diverse which makes me feel as though I am a part of a family […] faculty members are always there to assist me with academic advising, career advice, and extracurriculars. But I would like for Saint Leo to offer technical vocational courses like construction or fashion designing,” said Drackett.
Like Drackett, Berkel Anderson a freshman, majoring in biology at Saint Leo also has a strong passion for the field of medicine. Anderson chose to focus her studies on biology because of her desire to help those around her.
“Being a minority in STEM feels empowering to know that some people of color have paved the way for young Black girls like me to be a contribution to one of the most essential studies in today’s society.”
Anderson also mentioned that she anticipates encountering adversities being a Black woman in the STEM career field, from a global standpoint, but the faculty members at Saint Leo are doing their best to help her achieve her academic and career goals.
The area of cybersecurity is a rapidly growing STEM-related career field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating that the field will grow 28 percent between 2016 and 2026 (average growth for all jobs is about seven percent).
Nicholae Robinson is a young Black woman at Saint Leo who has found a keen interest in the cybersecurity realm. Robinson, who is also a freshman from Jamaica, found her passion for studying cybersecurity because she connected her love for crime scene investigation shows with her love for technology and computer safety.
“As a minority STEM major, I feel motivated to inspire others like myself to step into the industry, I see it is a privilege rather than a disadvantage,” said Robinson.
Robinson plans to become a cybersecurity analyst or an ethical hacker, and has even bigger plans to one day develop her own anti-virus software.
As the industry becomes more diverse, the community at Saint Leo continues to equip the students with the knowledge and experience they need to make a positive impact in STEM.
