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ABSTRACT Having a sense of belonging can promote persistence in the STEM fields, but less is known about what it means to develop that sense of belonging. To investigate this phenomenon, we conducted semi‐structured interviews with a cohort of STEM students (n = 10) nearing graduation at an urban university regarding their sense of belonging and qualitatively coded the interviews using thematic analysis. Results revealed that all interviewed students clearly articulated feelings of belonging, making them an ideal population from which to learn more. We applied two frameworks to guide our understanding of what factors promoted the development of a sense of belonging for these students: the Network Theory of Social Capital and the Counterspaces Framework. The students described their experiences in relation to elements of social capital and counterspace processes as they reflected on the development of feelings of belonging. One element of social capital, “reinforcement,” or assurance and recognition of one's worthiness as a member of a group, was the most prevalent element of social capital influencing the participants' development of a sense of belonging. “Direct relational transactions,” or the exchange of resources within a community, was the most prevalent counterspace process discussed by the participants. Our findings expand the utility and add to the theoretical underpinnings of the two frameworks, indicating that gaining social capital and experiencing counterspaces can contribute to undergraduate STEM student development of a sense of belonging. 

STEM Intervention Programs (SIPs) can influence student persistence in science. A survey measured multiple persistence factors among STEM students at one non-traditional university and focus groups triangulated nuances of the student experience. Overall, students in SIPs are more likely to persist and experience belonging. 

Community colleges expand access to higher education and play a key role in efforts to increase and diversify the future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. While community colleges increase access to higher education and millions of students attend them for some portion of their education, the experiences of transfer students remain relatively understudied. Transferring during an academic journey can compound the barriers that students already face when pursuing a STEM degree. This study uses Schlossberg’s model for analyzing human adaptation to transition to understand how STEM community college transfer students navigate and adapt to the 4-year university. Five semistructured focus groups were conducted with STEM community college transfer students attending an urban university. Analysis of the focus groups resulted in a new model: the amended model of adaptation to transfer transition, or AMATT, which illustrates various factors that played a role in STEM community college transfer students’ adaptation a university. Analyses illumined two broad pathways that students tend to diverge into during their transitions—thriving or simply surviving. This work provides a framework for understanding factors influencing the transfer process and ideally will inform institutions and students as they consider maximal transfer student success.