Women continue to be underrepresented within the STEM field. This qualitative, narrative, research student explores the expectations and experiences of women enrolled in a STEM program during their second year. Focusing on understanding their relationships with academic advising, faculty, and peers of all genders. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five participants at a 4-year private university in Maryland. The analysis revealed three themes with supporting sub-themes: Academic Success, linked to college choice, academic advising, and academic barriers; Faculty Relationships, linked with faculty approachability, faculty representation (gender), and collaborative learning; Inclusivity, linked to gender bias and social belonging. Individualized support, feeling minoritized, and making personal connections emerged as some of the key themes. These findings provided insights into women's unique experiences in STEM during their second year of study. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]