Students are anxious about future of jobs in STEM fields

HOLINESS MHLANGA

Johnson C. Smith University sophomore Holiness Mhlanga is a computer engineering major.

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics jobs are often marketed as secure, high-paying, and in demand careers. 

But college students say the pressure to prove themselves in STEM begins much earlier than expected.

Evelyn Flores, a UNC Chapel Hill second-year student, has submitted four lab experience applications on campus, only to be rejected. To qualify for future internships, she applied to research opportunities, only to be denied. 

“Am I doing enough right now to ensure my best chances once I graduate?” she asked. 

It wasn’t just academic pressure that Flores was facing. She also had to confront the uncertainty of her future and worry about getting the necessary experiences.

Flores, a first-generation student  majoring in psychology and minoring in biology and conflict management, wants to pursue a career in pediatric psychology. She admits to often feeling overwhelmed with the heavy workload.
“On those days I would kind of start to dwell,” she recalled, ‘Am I really cut out to do this?’”

Christian Varnado, assistant director for career services at Johnson C. Smith University expressed a crucial point in what students bring to his office on how to “set themselves up to be competitive,” adding that first-generation students often face significant barriers to making the transition.

“You may not know some of the questions to ask, some of the paths to take,” he said. “You may not know what an internship is. You may not know the value of an internship.”

That’s where Varnado stresses the importance of mentorship and being connected with professors who offer insight, guidance, networks, and can give the “unwritten rules of the game.” 

Jonathan Medina-Pedraza, a junior at UNC Charlotte, is also the first in his family to attend college. He previously majored in computer science before switching to business analytics, due in part because of challenges he faced in his previous major.

“It didn’t feel like I was in an environment … for beginners,” he said. “How do I catch up to these people?” 

Medina-Pedraza had to learn the ropes himself and eventually realized the difficulty STEM poses as a discipline.

“You’re competing with other people that may have more internship experience or have better connections early on,” he said. 

Said Varnado: “Our early applying and starting a process as soon as you get on campus is always the best way to make sure you're staying ahead of the curve, because there's so much competition out here now.”

Initial interest in a college major or career path alone is not enough when competing with peers who are better prepared or have prior experience.

Holiness Mhlanga, a JCSU computer engineering major, initially aimed to become a machine learning engineer as technology is always changing. “What we have now may not be what’s required in the job market tomorrow,” the sophomore said, adding that understanding trends is helpful. Mhlanga also believes there’s a heavy emphasis on targeted company applications. 

“Many people are going for the Fortune 500 companies, that is quite certain,” she said. “Everyone is going for them, and it is very competitive.” 

Varnado contends a deliberate approach to landing internships can give students an upper hand.

“The game has shifted to you no longer can wait until your junior year,” he said. “You have to start as soon as you get on campus to be successful. If you’re strategic in how you’re going after these opportunities, looking in places where the average student is not looking” helps. 

Cassidy Zollinger, a double major in conservation biology and creative writing at Queens University of Charlotte, is anxious about her career prospects in biology research. Her interest shifted because of uncertainty connected to federal funding rollbacks at the Environmental Protection Agency. 

“I am nervous about the job prospects within that field due to the recent cut of funding,” she said.

Even if challenges STEM majors face are difficult to navigate, they insist that passion is the best motivator and what keeps them positive. Zollinger’s love for sustainability drives her pursuit of a degree with a goal of learning how to be efficient with natural resources.

“I've always had a love for my natural surroundings, and I would say that my interest in that has doubled down or been strengthened throughout my college experience,” she said.

Mhlanga considers herself self-reliant and driven by a strong sense of curiosity. She believes in the “go-getter mindset” in navigating her journey. 

“The pressure comes from constantly wanting to be better than everyone else, because being a woman and being in a challenging field, I ought to be better,” she said.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by competition, Mhlanga’s mindset shifted inward, giving her a clear and centered goal to focus on. Flores’ passion for children and pediatric care inspired through intensive curricula and exams. Even through stressful, she was constantly reminded that she’s learning about what she truly loves. 

In the end, Mhlanga hopes schools can better help students through curriculum and mentoring. “Students were constantly searching and constantly fighting to be better and to learn about technology,” she said. … “And it being a difficult path, it would be so much easier if we had a huge support system within this difficult path.”

Said Varnado: “Remove the artificial barrier in your mind that this is something you can do.”

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