International LGBTQIA2S+ STEM Day: Role models in Ocean Science

Aquablog

Have you ever been in the position where you see a job you know you want but you’ve never seen anyone who resembles you in the role? If the answer to that is yes, you are not alone.

The fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) suffer from a chronic lack of diversity. The STEM workforce in the US alone is 89% white and 72% male. Diverse communities including but not limited to gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, and disability status all deserve to see themselves reflected by their mentors and role-models in the field.

As a lesbian woman in science, I have struggled to see myself represented in any of the ecology and zoology jobs I had my heart set on as a pre-teen. I could barely find any female-identifying role models let alone a queer-female role model. This led me to believe there was no true place for me in the STEM field and fueled the Imposter Syndrome I felt as I progressed through university…