ܹ̳

College & Workforce Readiness

For These Black Women in STEM, Teachers’ Encouragement Went a Long Way

By Lauraine Langreo — February 22, 2024 3 min read
A science teacher in elementary or middle school showing a student how to use a microscope.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Ciara Sivels had her heart set on becoming a pastry chef and attending culinary school after graduation, until her high school chemistry teacher encouraged her to pursue chemical engineering after realizing how good she was at the subject.

“I was like, ‘No, I don’t even know what that is. I’m going to culinary school. I have no interest in that,’” Sivels said. Still, her chemistry teacher asked her to try the Advanced Placement chemistry class.

Sivels found that she liked chemistry and the idea of “atoms and elements and putting them together and making something new.” She connected it back to cooking and baking, because there’s a similar process of “taking all these different ingredients and coming up with something delicious.”

After high school, Sivels attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where a mentor steered her toward nuclear engineering. She got her Bachelor’s Degree in nuclear science and engineering at MIT, earned her Master’s Degree in nuclear engineering at the University of Michigan, and then became the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering at Michigan.

“Those little nuggets of wisdom that people had or [teachers and mentors] taking the time to listen and hear what I’m interested in changed my trajectory,” Sivels said. “That’s how I ended up where I am today.”

Sivels was one of the panelists at the Feb. 21 webinar about how to encourage diversity in science, technology, engineering, and math industries. The webinar also featured former NASA astronaut and electrical engineer Joan Higginbotham, who was the third Black woman to go into space.

STEM occupations are projected to grow by almost 11 percent by 2031, . And while there’s a high share of women in science-related healthcare jobs, they continue to be underrepresented in engineering, computer science, and physical science jobs.

See Also

Photo of students working on computer boards.
E+ / Getty

Higginbotham, who mentors some high school and college students, said they’ll ask her questions about “how to handle being the only woman of color in the room” or “how to handle people thinking they’re only in the room because of a diversity initiative.”

“It breaks my heart, because 30 years later, after I dealt with that kind of nonsense, the students today are still dealing with that nonsense,” she said.

To encourage more students of color, especially girls, to go into STEM careers, Sivels and Higginbotham said it’s important to expose students to those careers as early as possible and to make those subjects fun and relevant to their everyday lives.

For students who are interested in STEM careers, Higginbotham’s advice is to “study hard and believe in themselves.”

Setbacks will happen, but “don’t let that hold you back,” Higginbotham said.

Sivels’s advice is for students “to learn to have confidence” by working on their hard skills, or job-specific knowledge, and to “sit in that confidence.”

See Also

Two Female College Students Building Machine In Science Robotics Or Engineering Class
iStock/Getty

It’s also important that students have a good support system. A 2022 Girls Who Code and Logitech survey found that parents and teachers are influential in determining whether girls will pursue a career in STEM. In Sivels’ and Higginbotham’s journeys, their support systems have been instrumental in their success.

Changing a student’s life ‘just by one little comment or suggestion’

Their advice to educators is to continue to listen, guide, and advocate for their students.

“There is a level of effort that goes into really understanding your students, but you just really never know the life that you can change just by one little comment or suggestion,” Sivels said.

For Higginbotham, her STEM teachers’ passion for the subjects “left an impression” on her, so her advice is for teachers to be “authentic” and know that students are paying attention to what they’re doing.

“It may take 20 years for them to realize it, but it will make an impression,” she said.

Events

Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum Big AI Questions for Schools. How They Should Respond 
Join this free virtual event to unpack some of the big questions around the use of AI in K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of ܹ̳'s editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of ܹ̳'s editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Spark Minds, Reignite Students & Teachers: STEM’s Role in Supporting Presence and Engagement
Is your district struggling with chronic absenteeism? Discover how STEM can reignite students' and teachers' passion for learning.
Content provided by 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

College & Workforce Readiness Q&A Graduation Rates Might Get Worse Before They Get Better
Schools must make a convincing case for why students should show up, Robert Balfanz says.
5 min read
Learning Recovery Hurdles 092023 1303680911 01
iStock/Getty
College & Workforce Readiness These Students Are the Hardest for Schools to Track After Graduation
State education chiefs are working with the Pentagon to make students' enlistment data more accessible for schools.
5 min read
Students in the new Army prep course stand at attention after physical training exercises at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C., on Aug. 27, 2022. The new program prepares recruits for the demands of basic training.
Students in the new Army prep course stand at attention after physical training exercises at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C., on Aug. 27, 2022. State education leaders are working with the Pentagon to make graduates' enlistment data part of their data systems.
Sean Rayford/AP
College & Workforce Readiness As Biden Prepares to Leave Office, He Touts His 'Classroom to Career' Work
At a White House event, the president and first lady highlighted their workforce-development efforts.
3 min read
President Joe Biden speaks at the Classroom to Career Summit in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024.
President Joe Biden speaks at the Classroom to Career Summit in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Nov. 13, 2024.
Ben Curtis/AP
College & Workforce Readiness Can the AP Model Work for CTE? How the College Board Is Embracing Career Prep
The organization known for AP courses and the SAT is getting more involved in helping students explore potential careers.
5 min read
David Coleman, CEO of the College Board, speaks at the organization's annual conference in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 21, 2024.
David Coleman, CEO of the College Board, speaks at the organization's annual conference in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 21, 2024. Long an institution invested in preparing students for college, the College Board increasingly has an eye on illuminating career options.
Ileana Najarro/ܹ̳