“I Don’t Back Away from a Fight”: Examining First Year Undergraduate Latinas’ Perseverance in STEM

Latina students have been enrolling in colleges at increasing rates but experience disproportionate levels of STEM major declaration and persistence, even at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). This qualitative study explored the first-year experiences of Latina students at a newly designated HSI to gain insights into how to serve them better as they begin their STEM coursework. Findings from semi-structured interviews suggest that while the Latinas in this study entered college with a strong interest and passion for STEM, they faced challenges during their first year due to the STEM program culture and lack of representation of Latinas in STEM. Students attributed their perseverance and sense of belonging to the social networks they developed with peers and TAs. Implications for other newly designated HSIs include formalizing peer networks, providing supports for TAs, and creating environments that better represent and highlight Latinas in STEM.