ABSTRACT
For the eight women we interviewed, interest in science began at a young age and was actively encouraged by a parent or other relation. In some cases, the women had mothers who had themselves specialized in a STEM discipline or had an active interest in it. Sharon Hays observes,
Mom … had a huge influence on my decision to study science, although I didn’t realize it until more recently. … She got a job running the anatomy and physiology lab at a local community college. When her students dissected frogs or pigs, she brought home the extra specimens, and we’d carry out the experiment at home.
