“…To date, research and policy initiatives have addressed the underrepresentation of specific demographic groups such as women, racial/ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities within STEM fields (National Science Foundation [NSF], 2019). However, little attention has been given to STEM participation among geographically defined populations, particularly rural and small-town students, who account for approximately 30% of the student population in the United States (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2017) and face unique, geographically linked structural opportunities and barriers that shape their educational and occupational pathways (Agger et al, 2018;Hillman & Boland, 2019;Schmuck & Schmuck, 1993;Wells et al, 2019).…”