NAVIGATING THROUGH TURBULENCE IN STEM HIGHER EDUCATION: GEOSCIENCE AMBASSADORS PERSONAL PATHWAY STORYTELLING

Graduation in STEM fields, especially geological sciences, is historically underrepresented by racially diverse United States citizens at the graduate level. Lack of representation in STEM fields, including the geological sciences, have been attributed to numerous factors, but often personal life experiences outside the academic realm are reason to blame. Here I present insights from personal experience and from my involvement with the Geoscience Ambassadors program. Geoscience Ambassadors is an outreach program that engages undergraduate and graduate geoscientists to explore their personal pathways to the discipline. Ambassadors craft authentic videos that document their individual journeys to the field, conduct community interviews to contextualize their experiences, and organize events in their home communities intended to inspire a change in the way the geosciences are understood. This talk will inform educators and leaders in higher education about how to better serve students that encounter hindrances in obtaining post-secondary degrees and diverge from normatively structured degree program timelines. Personal hardships are not reflective of personal deficits. We will discuss institutional responsibilities to students who elect to take Leaves of Absence and proceed at an alternative pace through the curriculum. Communicating progress in adversity to matriculating students can inspire resiliency and change perceived deficiencies into sources of motivation. This dialogue can help retain talented students who might otherwise withdraw entirely without such guidance. Other topics explored in this presentation include: college major decision making, preserving sense of community and sense of self, and candid review of student resources. An inclusive geoscience program is one that tolerates learners who progress outside standard graduation timeframes.