I argue that traditional models of student success should emphasize socialization that empowers students of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) while developing their self-concept, science identity, and self-efficacy. In-depth interviews with 58 STEM students and faculty across four universities in the Southwest who participate in a federally funded STEM education program reveal alternative cultural spaces that can be described as emancipatory and transformative that attract and engage students of color and help them thrive in STEM education.