Dream On! Supporting and Graduating African American Girls and Women in STEM - by Ezella McPherson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Dream on! Supporting and Graduating African American Girls and Women in STEM tells the life stories of African American women who originally pursued degrees in pre-medicine and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors in high school and college.

In Dream On! Dr. McPherson draws upon the personal stories of 16 undergraduate African American women who had aspirations of pursuing undergraduate degrees that led to careers in medicine, health professions, engineering, or mathematical fields. The book begins by telling their success stories and love for math and science in K-12 settings. It then discusses their stories of trials, triumphs, and even some tragedies when pursuing their undergraduate degrees at predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Despite enduring challenges in their majors, all 16 of resilient African American women completed undergraduate degrees in health science, social science, and/or STEM majors. A discussion on how they built a sense of community, that is a sense of belonging in their majors is described as well.

Careers that these women pursued were medical doctors, scientists, mathematicians, engineer, business professional, and human resources professionals.

The book is a must read for girls, women, and minority women, and minorities who want to pursue medical degrees or STEM fields at predominantly white institutions, families, educators, administrators, and policymakers.

Review Quotes

"Barriers exist for all people daring to seek careers in STEM. For women and minority women, tremendous personal strength is necessary to dare to dream the dream, to persist despite the absence of external encouragement and often active discouragement. Listen to the stories of the women in the book to understand how they experienced their education and use these lessons to help you engage and successfully mentor the students that come into your life." From the foreword by Dr. Alexa Irene Canady-Davis Retired, neurosurgeon

"Like having a caring mentor at your side, Dream On! focuses on empowerment & information...[for] girls and women wanting to succeed in STEM...Educators will find inspiration to incorporate culturally informed, caring teaching practices to build greater success." Independent Book Review- Lisa Parker Hayreh

"In this thoughtful and timely work, Dr. Ezella McPherson provides fresh insights into the types of experiences that can help young women of color complete STEM majors or else steer them to other pathways. The lessons that Dr. McPherson offers for students, families, and educators will be of considerable value as we continue thinking as a society of how best to increase diversity in these critical subjects and in the STEM workforce." Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski III, President Emeritus,

University of Maryland Baltimore County

"Dream On! is not only a well-researched account of these women's experience but also a rousing call to action, for both African American women and the educational system, offering guidance and encouragement to students and urging greater support from schools, teachers, and more. This is a valuable resource for students entering the STEM field but also for the educators and administrators who they will encounter". -Booklife Reviews

"Dr. McPherson uses qualitative data from a group of African American women in STEM at predominantly white universities to reveal these young women's persistence in the midst of racial inequalities... In Dream On! McPherson uses the voices of young African American women to provide insights into the processes at work and to suggest recommendations for teachers and practitioners." Dr. Sandra L. Hanson, Professor Emerita, Department of Sociology, Catholic University of America