Markus (he/him/his), 26, Minnesota

“[The assistant principal] pointed me out and said, ‘I seen you skipping class in the hallway’… she [had] mistaken me for someone else…And I happen to look like one of them.”

Peyton (she/her/hers), 23, Louisiana

“I’m thankful to Dr. C for kind of introducing me to science in an applicable way…That really kind of solidified the idea in my head that I was going to pursue my career in science, and I was going to learn how the world works.”

Taina (she/her/hers), 20, Florida

“This drive is still in my heart today and inspires me daily to become a creative educator that can inform people about climate change, while empowering them with solutions towards our united goal of living in a better place.”

Gabrielle (she/her/hers/they/them), 22, Texas

“While a STEM educator had once crushed my love for science, it was only another STEM educator who was able to nurture my love for science back to life.”

Elena (she/her/hers), 22, New York

“It’s just not something that clicks in my brain. I don’t have a math brain.”

Ephraim (he/him/his), 18, Texas

“This teacher was an artist. I will never forget her because she had a strong impact on my life.”

Yazmine (she/her/hers), 16, Arizona

“I think about my seventh grade project anytime I’m going into my science classes… I didn’t feel alienated and I didn’t feel that I shouldn’t be there. That was the first time that I felt everything had a place and an order.”

Alexis (she/her/hers), 25, New York

“Representation might be the easy part. We can get people in the door, we can get people to come, we can get people to hear our stories, we can get people in STEM, we can get people in science, tech, engineering and math, but can we get them to stay?”

Daijya (she/her/hers), 18, Missouri

“I am a woman of color going into a field that many aren’t welcomed in or even acknowledged in.”

Jordan (she/her/hers), 21, Texas

“I remember my science teacher in sixth grade actually brought fresh water from a spring he had visited for every student in the class to try if they wanted to…I was really amazed that these things existed and that the Earth could provide for us in the way that it could.”

Mariam (she/her/hers), 22, California

“And he said, ‘Well, my advice to you is to drop my class, because it’s not for you, you don’t belong in my class, you need to go to a lower math class.’ ”

Danielle (she/her/hers), 19, California

“As I sat through my first biology lecture, my heart absolutely sunk. I had no idea what my professor was talking about and it seemed as if every one of my peers did.”