STEM Retention: A Retrospective of Three Civil Engineers

Abstract

This paper addresses the subject of retention in undergraduate engineering programs through the lens of three civil engineers in the same family. Although anecdotal, the divergent careers of each provide the framework for retrospection on what attracts students to STEM careers in general, why they persist, and what their ultimate career and life goals are. The experiences are placed in context with material from recent references on STEM education, and observations and lessons are presented. The personal stories are not intended as evidence to prove national trends, but merely to put them into the context of experience of one family. The ability of curricula to help students envision broad and diverse career paths is an important issue that was crucial for this family.