While a strong literature base exists around undergraduate experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), few studies examine how students approach the question of “what’s next” after graduation. This study examines the impact of social ties on STEM college seniors’ plans to enter the STEM workforce, and how race/ethnicity and gender impact postgraduation planning in STEM. We interviewed a racially diverse sample of 39 STEM college seniors at a predominantly White research institution. Analysis showed that students relied on weak and strong social ties in obtaining job leads and valued diversity in the workplace. Some students of color and women experienced negative social ties (via racism and sexism) during internship experiences, which shaped their thinking around postgraduate opportunities. We discuss implications for equity, as well as recommendations for research and practice.

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Higher education practitioners are a wide-ranging group of professionals often responsible for implementing programs and services that support student success. In this qualitative study, we examine the nature of student-practitioner relationships among a multiracial sample of 39 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) college seniors to address three questions: (a) How do STEM students describe their relationships with practitioners on campus? (b) In what ways, if any, do student-practitioner relationships influence STEM students' feelings of marginality and/or mattering in STEM? and (c) To what extent do STEM students have different experiences based on their racial/ethnic identities? We employ a cross-case study analysis approach, contrasting the experiences of majority-status (e.g., White and Asian/Asian American) and minoritized-status (e.g., Black/African American and Latinx) students within STEM contexts. Our findings show clear differences regarding how students describe their interactions with practitioners based on racial/ethnic background, as well as how student-practitioner relationships impact students' sense of mattering and marginality in STEM. We conclude with implications for research and practice to address the persistent structural issues affecting STEM college students.

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