Dallas ISD school nurturing the next generation of STEM careers for first-gen students

With the first week back to class now in the books for many North Texas students, many are looking ahead to the rest of the school year and their futures.

For one Dallas ISD school, students are hoping to break down barriers in careers involving science, technology, engineering, and math, known as STEM.

In recent years, there has been a worldwide push to bring more women and people of color into STEM fields. But even now, women still only make up a very small percentage of all the people getting a bachelor's in science, engineering, computer, and information sciences.

So there's still so much work to be done.

“I think one thing that I've struggled with is feeling like I can't do something or that I'm limited to what I've known,” said high school senior, Eva Anderson.

She is her class president at Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School in Dallas ISD. It’s the first all-girls public school in the state and is part of the Young Women's Preparatory Network, a nonprofit agency that partners with public school districts across Texas. 

Most students who attend the network of schools come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and more than 60 percent will be first-generation college students.

“I think one thing that I struggled with freshman year was definitely feeling like I like I fit in, like I had a place of identity,” Anderson said. “But I think the teachers and the people definitely make you feel like you belong.”

Anderson is particularly excited about going to a school that also embraces science, technology, engineering, and math.

“I love seeing women in STEM. I think that is definitely a field that needs more women,” she said. “I think Irma Rangel is really good at showing women that you can be in STEM, you can be a scientist, you can be an entrepreneur, you can be everything.”

Eva Anderson

Eva Anderson

Anderson has big plans for her life. She's already zeroing in on going to college at UT Austin or UT Arlington to focus on math, bioscience, and neurology.

Since sixth grade, Rangel has connected her with an internship at UT Southwestern, community service, leadership roles, and other opportunities to improve her skills as an early age.

“I got to work in a lab and got to explore my interest in STEM,” Anderson said. “It is very exciting. I feel like I'm set up for success. I know I am nervous about going to college, but I know I will get into college and I think they prepare you. They make you feel confident.”

Bottom line, Anderson said she wants to make a difference in the world and get her Ph.D., the first ever in her family. Anderson shared that growing up, she never knew the sky was the limit until now.

"I think it is a barrier, but I think it's one we can all break down. I mean, all of my classmates were women of color. I want to see them do good. I want to do good for myself. So I think it is a challenge, but one that we all need to conquer. And I'm very excited to be one of the first in some fields."

There's an urgent need for STEM grads like Anderson and her peers. According to the Dallas Morning News, up to 3 million high-tech manufacturing and other stem-related jobs will be added to the U.S. economy over the next decade. But up to 2 million of those jobs will go unfilled due to a lack of skilled workers.

That's why Rangel's curriculum equally focuses on the stem but also professional development. They have full-time specialized counselors and advisors that work with students in college admissions, resume building, and other methods that help take away some of the barriers students face.

"We see a lot of them applying and getting into STEM field majors, especially being a person of color, being a woman and getting those high academics that we have on our campuses – they're being able to get a high merit scholarships into universities to go to into STEM fields that are dominated by men and being able to see them outcome and be able to graduate from these types of universities,” said Jeremy Cortez, executive director of college success for YWPN.

This also helps break the cycle for families and create positive change. Data shows only 1/3 of kids from families at or below the poverty line attend college and even fewer graduate, resulting in limited employment opportunities.

“I think coming from a first generation background myself and from a Hispanic family where I saw my mom working, being a single parent – I know the impact that it has of having students and students of color, seeing women go out there and being able to be a part of something different for their families,” said Cortez. “And because of our network and the partnership with Dallas ISD, we're able to establish and create new transformations for our families and students.”

This past school year, Rangel achieved a 100% high school graduation rate with 100% of students accepted into college.

“We don't just see our students to college. We want to see them through college. So after they graduate from Irma Rangel, we also have an alumni program that focuses on our students to make sure that they're going to graduate from college,” said Cortez. “Here at Rangel, we have 100% acceptance into a four year university and they are sitting about 98% of them matriculating to a four year college. And in their 6th year, graduation rate is above the national average, three times above the national average. About 62% of them are graduating within six years of them going to off to college.”

Dallas ISD is getting recognized for this effort. Due to this model and its success, NEC Foundation of America recently selected Rangel as one of five to receive a portion of a $500,000 grant to support programming.

“I've gotten the opportunity to be so many things with so many different committees and organizations. I think Irma Rangel is the sole reason why I'm the leader I am today,” Anderson said.