For over two decades the under-representation of African Americans in school science and the workplace has been a central concern for educators, policy makers, and researchers. Existing literature provides many accounts of the barriers to science career attainment. This study examined the science career trajectories of fourteen African American high school students who were persistent in pursuing science. Using identity and social space as theoretical tools, I examined the multiple sociocultural factors that shape students' science career trajectories. Results indicate that everyday spaces were critical in shaping their career aspirations and who they wanted to become. Mapping students' learning pathways was critical to understand how different spaces--school, church, neighborhood--framed their narratives and ultimately their decisions to pursue a science career. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)