Academic and Personal Mentoring: Fostering STEM Vocations and Their Retention

We live in a world undergoing radical and complex changes, both naturally and due to human influence. These challenges increasingly demand a holistic, sensitive, multi-perspective, inclusive, and multidisciplinary approach. Notably, there remains a significant underrepresentation of women in various fields, especially in the hard areas of engineering, science, and technology. This research aims to achieve two main objectives through a case study: to increase interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) among middle and high school students, and to motivate university students in these fields through personal and academic mentoring processes. The research employs a qualitative approach and follows a case study methodology that includes understanding the context to design the program, outlining its developmental stages, defining the stakeholders involved, assessing results at each stage, and establishing it as a replicable model. The qualitative findings reveal that interest in education among girls remains high even when their circumstances traditionally deter them from pursuing higher education. Additionally, female university students in STEM, after understanding the realities faced by women and girls in vulnerable areas, share their passion for their studies and often continue participating in mentoring activities throughout their academic careers, sometimes for over two years, to benefit and inspire these younger girls.