People of Color in STEM (shortened to POC’s in STEM) is a student organization founded in November 2015 that seeks to promote the interests of students of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics classes. The purpose of the club is two-fold: academic support and social justice.
Academic support:
POC’s in STEM acknowledges that academic advantages may not have been afforded to students of color prior to entering college, and that there are many barriers in place that prevent students of color from persisting in STEM. One major barrier is finances. Currently, POC’s in STEM is working to expand the textbook share program, as well as expand an in-club resource share program to help cut the cost of being a STEM major.
Additionally, POC’s in STEM is committed to creating programming that is relevant to the current needs of students of color. Although the club is still young, ideas come from many students who wish they had a service when they were a first-year in college. For example, students seeking research wished that faculty-led research topics were easier to find and navigate. Or, some students wished that they had an upperclassmen help them organize their four-year plan in a specific major. These are all topics that come up in club meetings in order to help all members succeed.
Social justice:
On a politically active campus like Occidental College, it can be difficult to be a student of color in STEM who wants to focus on both rigorous classes as well as the current campus climate, especially when there is very little overlap in the academic schedule due to the nature of science lectures. POC’s in STEM provides a safe space where students can work through their frustrations while attempting to balance both.
POC’s in STEM acknowledges that there is a disparity between majority and minority students in STEM classes, and that these disparities are rooted in social and educational inequities prior to college. Therefore, club meetings consist of conversations regarding a facet of a much larger social justice issue.
If you would like to learn more about POC’s in STEM, please contact co-presidents Noorsher Ahmed ’17 and Marjorie Morales ’17 at pocstem@oxy.edu.
Ideal Stem 