  The percentage of women receiving bachelors degrees in physics in the U.S.
lags well behind that of men, and women leave the major at higher rates.
Achieving equity in physics will mean that women stay in physics at the same
rates as men, but this will require changes in the culture and support
structures. A strong sense of belonging can lead to higher retention rates so
interventions meant to increase dimensions of physics identity (interest,
recognition, performance, and competence) may increase persistence overall and
increase women's retention differentially. We describe our model in which
mentorship, an understanding of career options (career conceptualization), and
leadership are inputs into the development of these dimensions of physics
identity. This paper includes preliminary results from a qualitative study that
aims to better understand how career conceptualization, leadership, and
mentorship contribute to the development of physics identity and belonging. We
report results from a survey of 15 undergraduate physics students which was
followed up by interviews with 5 of those students. The students were from a
small private liberal arts college in the midwest region of the U.S. and a
large public university in the southeast region of the U.S. classified as a
Hispanic-serving institution (HSI). With respect to mentorship, we found that
it could provide critical support for students' engagement in the physics
community. Leadership experiences have not previously been positioned as an
important input into identity, yet we found that they helped women in physics
feel more confident, contributing to their recognition of themselves as physics
people. While the data on how career conceptualization contributed to the
building of identity is limited, there are some connections to recognition and
competence, and it will be an interesting avenue of future exploration.
