Beyond the time tested idea that women of color need to aspire for excellence and be persistent, Agwu said you also have to be a bit of a detective in terms of advocating for your own self-interest. When she was a graduate student at the University of Connecticut, she discovered that the graduate students often had beer and pizza socials with faculty where they learned about upcoming projects and other department news. She was never invited, but eventually learned when and where the socials were being held and made sure to be there.
Agwu also spoke of the need for respected tenured faculty like her to speak up for students who she felt were subjected to classism. She cited a time when two students were invited to present their research at an out-of-town conference, but because they worked in addition to going to school, they could not commit to attending all three days of the conference. Only after she advocated on their behalves were they allowed to attend just two days of the conference.
Also, aspiring scientists have to make individual decisions about career path and personal needs. Williams said when she applied to graduate school she was courted by the University of Colorado. She loved the school, but was concerned about the lack of other people of color in her program, at the school and in Boulder. “I couldn’t do it,” she said. “The person I wanted to work for won a Nobel Prize six years later. My career would have been very different, but I couldn’t do it. Certain people can, but … sometimes people pick more urban areas or more diverse communities.”
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