Against all odds – black, female, engineer

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the complex influences of imposter syndrome and colorism on Tanya Smith Foreman’s educational and professional trajectories in STEM as a Black female first-generation college graduate. The authors use personal vignettes to illustrate her nuanced experiences from childhood, through school and to her career, highlighting not only the challenges she faced but also the resilience required to navigate and overcome systemic racial barriers. Design/methodology/approach The authors used autoethnographic methods to generate several narrative vignettes, which they then thematically analyzed. During this process, the authors hoped to uncover the impacts of systemic racial challenges in both Tanya Smith Foreman’s academic and professional settings. Findings The narrative vignettes demonstrate that perseverance, grit and faith were essential for Tanya Smith Foreman to overcome the barriers she encountered in STEM education and her career. The authors identified a common narrative thread connecting these themes that includes doubt, low expectations and racial trauma. Despite these barriers, mentoring and robust support systems were crucial in enabling her to build community and eventually succeed. Originality/value The authors offer a unique counter narrative as their contribution to the field by providing a detailed, first-person account of the systemic racial issues faced by a Black woman in STEM who has found great success in corporate America. This work extends current understanding of educational outcomes for marginalized groups and suggests practical support strategies that can alleviate these challenges.