Voices in STEAM

By: Rachel Ware

On September 23rd, I was a speaker on a panel about Equity in STEAM hosted by the Metropolitan Phoenix YWCA. This event was the announcement of $50,000 in grant opportunities for 501(c) nonprofits and schools in Arizona to promote equity in STEAM in partnership with Intel, an opportunity that you can learn more about here. It was also an event for storytelling and conversation on the systemic barriers in the field and the power of culturally relevant approaches to equity initiatives.

I was encouraged to take part in this event by CGEST’s own Dr. Tara Nkrumah, who also took part as a storyteller and the host for the panel. Her story spoke to the value of familial support and persistent passion for the field in the face of systemic barriers and under anticipation. I was saddened by the lack of encouragement by an advisor in her story but am always heartened by the continued work that fights against that approach to Black women in STEAM. The other panelists similarly shared challenges and their passion for their work. Dr. William Johnson shared a curiosity nurtured by science programs offered from a young age. Kayla Balliew spoke of her journey to study engineering, through the military, trying to balance college as a single mother to finishing her degree to get a job in IT. I also shared my story of finding computer science in high school and how linked equity work has been to technology for me.

Dr. Nkrumah also asked several poignant questions about family/community support, identity, creating a more equitable landscape in STEAM, and cultural representation. I cannot do justice to the personal depth and the power of the answers to these questions or each story, but I felt they really struck at the barriers and the support that is available to diverse people who have entered STEAM fields. Each panelist had a different background but we hit on several similar points. The reality of being the only one in the room with your racial identity. The support of identity or community-focused groups, which was brought up by all, whether through employee resource groups or clubs. The importance of mentorship and role models, and the work done by individuals to access community support, even through moving.

Dr. Johnson spoke on this:

“I started in Oregon. Oregon was not known for having a lot of Black people in general, but we knew Arizona had a larger employee resource group for African Americans... And so we knew there was support in the company, you just had to reach out beyond your site to go after it.”

For me hearing the stories and considering my own path provided another reminder of how important work in promoting equity and addressing the specific needs of different communities is. While several key things are similar, what each of us were missing and the opportunities we got were so different. Even in the same place, one person can feel they have the support they need and another doesn’t. For my part, I have been supported through several programs specifically tailored to parts of my identity and been in spaces that do not consider it and there is a world of difference. As much as I have benefited from hearing the experiences of others, I also feel I benefited from reflecting on my own experiences and I am so grateful I was able to speak about them. I enjoyed the opportunity to be part of an event supporting this exciting initiative as a panelist.

The recording of this event is available through the Metropolitan Phoenix YWCA Facebook page here.

Written by:

Rachel Ware

Graduate Research Assistant

Computer Science