naa a22 4500 510781012 CHVBK 20180411083247.0 cr unu---uuuuu 180411e20131201xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s11422-013-9519-2 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s11422-013-9519-2 García Yeni School of Biological Science, University of Northern Colorado, Ross Hall 2480, 501 20th Street, Campus Box 92, 80639, Greeley, CO, USA aut When preparation meets opportunity: a case study exploring the feasibility of pursuing a career in biology for two Latina high school girls [Elektronische Daten] [Yeni García] The future of this country depends on utilizing human intellectual resources from varying viewpoints to make informed decisions on issues from conservation biology to biotechnology, or even bioengineering. An increase in Latina/o students in the biological sciences would bring a variety of viewpoints, as well as personal and cultural experiences that would advance the field. To insure that we have enough experts in biology that represent changes in demographic trends, we must look into utilizing the expertise of students in our current educational system to continue and complete careers in biology. In this study, a career in biology referred to careers that require an expertise in biology that is gained by completing a bachelor's degree in biology or an affiliated field. Using case study methodology, I explored the experiences of two Latina students, one who is undocumented, and focused on the nature of the experiences and how they related to the young women's decision to pursue a career in biology. This study is grounded on a theoretical framework of critical systems theory and the notion that there are systems and components within those systems that either facilitate or hinder students' ability to pursue various pathways. Data were generated from semi-structured interviews, artifacts, life narratives, and cultural descriptors to gain an understanding of the girls' past, present, and future decisions regarding the feasibility of pursuing a degree in biology. Four common themes emerged: (1) experiences that made a lasting positive or negative impact early in life; (2) an intrinsic desire to serve their community or people in need; (3) sociocultural support networks; and (4) opportunities or circumstances within the cultural commons associated with their legal status in the United States, which caused the girls to continue or to deviate from their path towards pursuing a career in biology. Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht, 2013 Latina high school girls nationallicence Career choices nationallicence Culture nationallicence Biology nationallicence Critical systems theory nationallicence Cultural Studies of Science Education Springer Netherlands 8/4(2013-12-01), 935-951 1871-1502 8:4<935 2013 8 11422 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-013-9519-2 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-013-9519-2 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 100 1- García Yeni School of Biological Science, University of Northern Colorado, Ross Hall 2480, 501 20th Street, Campus Box 92, 80639, Greeley, CO, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Cultural Studies of Science Education Springer Netherlands 8/4(2013-12-01), 935-951 1871-1502 8:4<935 2013 8 11422 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer