Understanding Who Stays in a STEM Scholar Program for Underrepresented Students: High-Achieving Scholars and Short-Term Program Retention

Abstract

This study highlights program retention among Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students in a STEM Intervention Program (SIP) aimed at increasing the representation of underrepresented students in STEM fields. We applied London et al.’s STEM Engagement Framework to determine factors that distinguish who stays in a SIP and who leaves within the first two years of the program. Our sample was comprised of 129 high-achieving students enrolled in a multicomponent program at a large, research-intensive university in the mid-Atlantic. Our results suggest that identifying as a woman or gender non-conforming scholar, having a strong scientific identity, or reporting lower depressive symptoms, increase the likelihood of remaining in the SIP.