These findings echo those of earlier studies 6 in which students reported interest and ability in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), attraction to applications including helping people/society, building/designing, environmental protection, and space exploration, positive high school experiences, enjoyment of tinkering with machines, job prospects and the versatility of an engineering degree as preparation for numerous fields, and the social standing of engineers as factors influencing their decision to pursue engineering. Women reported significant sources of encouragement in their pursuit of engineering including their own interest in the subject, their parents, employment opportunities, and peers. Gender, however, is only one lens of analysis, and some researchers have begun to consider intersectionality within engineering, that is, how multiple categories such as race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and ability influence experiences of engineering. Foor, Walden, and Trytten 7 described the experience of one multi-racial, working-class female student in engineering, considering how race, class, and gender influenced her experience as an undergraduate. Eglash 8 considered power relations at the intersection of race, gender, and nerd identities. Similarly, we sought to consider not only gender in our analysis, but also culture, language, family, and other influences that emerged through our interviews. Lichtenstein and colleagues 9 note that students" decision-making about careers can be influenced by a wide range of factors including students" perceptions, experiences, and even chance events, which are necessarily limited in certain ways. It is not unusual for students to experience ambivalence or indecision, perhaps reflecting the strong role of serendipity. 10 Yet Lichtenstein et al. 9 also note that studies of engineers" career decisions are few and mostly based on quantitative surveys, which may not capture the process of decision-making.
