Underrepresented minority women face a double bind
- Confront issues related to race/ethnicity AND gender
- Cannot deny their racial or gender identity
- Often pulled in two directions
- May face additional obstacles – poverty, family, physical disability, male domination in STEM fields
Some commonalities may exist among underrepresented minority women in STEM
- Read at an early age
- Positive, strong sense of self
- Awareness of ethnic status
- Being disciplined
Dr. Abron’s Success as an entrepreneur:
- Been in business for 44 years
- Sees engineering as a “we”
- Has a loyal team and loyal clients who have stuck with her
- Sole owner
- Navigated the highs and lows of business ownership
Small schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBUs) offer more attention and care for students
- Young people give her hope
- Hard to compete with the quality and caliber of current students