First-generation college students (FGCSs) are a growing population in undergraduate education. Research on FGCS primarily focuses on the challenges and barriers they encounter in college. While important, this literature offers a limited view of FGCS as learners. Moreover, minimal literature has examined these students' lived experiences within sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This study explores the learning experiences of FGCS (N = 17) in undergraduate STEM programs at a mid-sized, private, predominantly white institution. Guided by the frameworks of intersectionality and social cognitive career theory, the researchers utilized a qualitative, phenomenological research methodology to hear the perspectives of FGCS to and to identify problematic higher educational structures in STEM. Findings point to an elitist stance underlying STEM programs based in general disciplinary norms that restricted FGCS access to STEM majors and careers across social, academic, and professional elements of the academic experience. FGCS who were multiply minoritized based upon race, gender, and social class experienced the compounding of marginalization, and academic success and persistence came at a personal cost. Students also reported relying predominantly on personal strengths and motivations to overcome elitism in STEM rather than on institutional supports. Findings also highlight the variation in the first-generation experience and identify the unique barriers FGCS encounter within STEM fields. Implications for dismantling inequitable structures for higher education in STEM attending to the social, academic, and professional inclusion of FGCS.

中文翻译：

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“我为什么在这里？”：对白人占主导地位的院校中第一代 STEM 专业大学生经历的现象学探索

第一代大学生（FGCS）是本科教育中不断增长的群体。 FGCS的研究主要集中在他们在大学中遇到的挑战和障碍。虽然很重要，但该文献对 FGCS 作为学习者的看法有限。此外，极少的文献考察了这些学生在科学、技术、工程和数学 (STEM) 领域的生活经历。本研究探讨了 FGCS（ N  = 17）在一所以白人为主的中型私立机构的本科 STEM 课程中的学习经历。在交叉性和社会认知职业理论框架的指导下，研究人员利用定性、现象学研究方法来听取 FGCS 的观点并识别 STEM 中存在问题的高等教育结构。调查结果表明，基于一般学科规范的 STEM 项目存在精英主义立场，限制了 FGCS 进入 STEM 专业和跨学术经验的社会、学术和专业要素的职业。 FGCS 因种族、性别和社会阶层而被多重少数化，经历了边缘化的加剧，学业上的成功和坚持是以个人为代价的。学生们还表示，他们主要依靠个人优势和动机来克服 STEM 领域的精英主义，而不是机构支持。调查结果还强调了第一代体验的差异，并确定了 FGCS 在 STEM 领域遇到的独特障碍。消除 STEM 高等教育中不公平结构的影响，关注 FGCS 的社会、学术和专业包容性。