Graduate Bridge Programs as Nepantla for Minoritized Students in STEM: Navigating Challenges with Non-Bridge Peers and Faculty

While research has documented the tremendous success of graduate-level Bridge programs for boosting the numbers of minoritized students earning doctorates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, less is understood about the challenges participants face along their graduate journey while participating in Bridge programs. Anzalduán concepts including "nepantla" frame minoritized STEM Bridge students' experiences. This study included interviews with 29 student participants (the majority of whom were African American or Latina/o/x1) and 19 faculty mentors or staff program coordinators drawn from five Bridge-to-the-Doctorate STEM programs. Participants described two key challenges: (a) othering by non-bridge peers and (b) intense scrutiny by faculty and staff. Findings show that the presence of Bridge programs alone does not disrupt traditional norms and practices in STEM fields. Implications are discussed for intentionally constructing graduate Bridge programs and supporting departments as they strive to improve inclusion and equity within graduate STEM education.