Diversity in Biology: Navigating Career Paths as a Woman/Minority/First-Generation Student

For students from underrepresented backgrounds, pursuing a career in biology and related fields can present unique challenges. However, the paths blazed by successful professionals from diverse backgrounds offer valuable insights and inspiration. We interviewed several accomplished professionals who shared their experiences navigating STEM careers as women, minorities, and first-generation college students, to provide guidance to those seeking to follow in their footsteps.

Embracing Your Identity as a Strength

For many professionals, their diverse backgrounds and experiences have become valuable assets in their careers. Cindy, a Senior Clinical Trial Coordinator at UCLA Health, emphasizes how being a woman of color has enhanced her ability to understand and serve diverse patient populations: "When I first graduated, I almost played into the stereotype that was expected of me...You have to conform to stand out, you have to not really speak up," she reflects. However, she later realized that expressing her own point of view in the work place would allow her to care for her patients in a more effective manner than being a mere "task rabbit" ever could.

Zu, a Director of Strategic Finance who identifies as a first-generation college student and practicing Muslim, faced initial challenges: "I didn't realize what I didn't know until so much later on." For instance, as an undergraduate, he had no idea that he could even pursue a summer internship: "I didn't know that was a thing."

Breaking Through Barriers

Women in male-dominated fields often face unique hurdles. Bryanna, a Channel Sales Manager in tech, advises: "When you are looking at companies, make sure there are females in management, [and] females essentially at every level in their org chart." She emphasizes the importance of having "internal champions" and seeing clear paths for advancement when considering a position with any given organization.

Nancy, a Project Manager at UCLA Health, and a first-generation Latina woman, shares her perspective on navigating higher education without established family support systems: "I didn't have any doctors in the family, or lawyers, or folks in business. So it's been challenging at times, even just going through the undergraduate application process."

Building Support Networks and Finding Mentors

A common theme among successful professionals is the importance of building strong support networks. Maeran, a physician at UCLA Health, and a former first-generation college student, emphasizes the significance of seeking mentorship:

"The most important thing is to identify lifelong mentors who really know you and can help you align what you want out of life and your career with what you're doing."

Bryanna adds that networking and building relationships with peers and colleagues became crucial to her success: "I built out a pretty strong network, between Greek life, the classes I had taken, the internships, and the jobs...It has helped me a lot in my career."

Advice for Current Students

Our interviewed professionals offer several key pieces of advice for students from underrepresented backgrounds:

Be Your Authentic Self: Cindy emphasizes the importance of finding your voice: "You don't need to fit in one mold...I have my own mind and I have my own opinions, and I am okay to risk some decrease in social desirability or throw a wrench in everyone's plan if I really don't think [a] patient should be on trial."
Seek Out Supportive Environments: Bryanna advises pursuing opportunities at companies with diverse leadership: "You have people to not only look to, you have internal champions, and you know that you have the ability to grow and be promoted into those roles."
Take Advantage of Available Resources: Nancy encourages students to be proactive: "If you aren't sure what that next step is, then do as much exploration as you can. Don't be shy...Try reaching out to as many people as you can to explore."
Don't Let Self-Doubt Hold You Back: In Zu's experience, "Building social connections and all that was definitely challenging." However, he emphasizes the importance of pushing through these challenges to achieve your goals.

Looking to the Future

The landscape of biology and related fields is becoming increasingly diverse, though obstacles remain. The experiences of these successful professionals demonstrate that while the path may not always be straightforward, there are numerous opportunities for students from underrepresented backgrounds to succeed and make meaningful contributions to their fields.

Our professionals emphasize that their diverse backgrounds have ultimately become strengths, enabling them to bring unique perspectives and approaches to their work. As Nancy advises, "Make sure that what you start out on in your undergraduate journey is what you enjoy and not what somebody else is pushing you to do."

Whether you're interested in clinical research, finance, entrepreneurship, or other biology-related careers, remember that your unique perspective and experiences can be valuable assets in your professional journey. By building strong networks, seeking out mentorship, and staying true to yourself, you can navigate the challenges and find success in your chosen path.

Want to learn more about how your specific background could translate into a career path? Visit us at Advize for more insights from successful, relatable professionals sharing real information to help.

If you ever want to reach out for help, advice or networking, shoot us an email at hello@advizehub.com or message us on Slack!

Wishing you success,

Emily McSherry

Founder & CEO