“There are a growing number of communities within economics for young women who may feel isolated or questioning whether or not this is a path that they want to pursue,” says Fenaba Addo (right in photo above). Addo, an assistant professor of consumer science at University of Wisconsin-Madison, is a visiting scholar at the St. Louis Fed’s Center for Household Financial Stability.

She talks with Maria Hasenstab, senior media relations specialist at the St. Louis Fed, about finding her voice as the only black woman in most of her economics courses on her way to her bachelor’s and graduate degrees. “Finding your tribe or finding your people is key to staying and for longevity in this field,” she says.