Fall 2010/Winter 2011
Each summer, MESA graduates throughout the state receive employment offers from companies and agencies. Despite the recession, California still needs graduates with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) degrees, and MESA helps to meet this need.
MESA has a long and successful record of supporting educationally disadvantaged students who have potential but lack the academic support to excel in math and science. Our program has a stellar track record in identifying these students and helping them launch a career in STEM fields.
One of our success stories is George Gonzalez (see Alumnus Profile article), a San Jose State MESA student who hadn’t considered engineering as a career until he became involved in MESA. The first in his family to go to college, George now has a degree in mechanical engineering, works at Cisco Systems, and is encouraging his sister to go on in higher education. George is now a successful member of the technical workforce and MESA helped get him there.
George’s story is a familiar one. So is Somporn Boonsalat’s (see Alumnus Profile article). With no college experience in his family, Somporn had to confront many challenges before, with help from MESA, he decided to focus on getting into college. MESA helped keep him on track academically so he could attend the University of the Pacific. Along the way he volunteered in MESA to help other students. Somporn’s success inspired his siblings to persevere in their studies and go on to college.
Michael Lombardi has another MESA story to tell. MESA helped him excel academically and fulfill his transfer requirements while at Butte College. After going on to CSU Chico, MESA helped him attain an internship at Chevron. Despite a challenging workload as a computer science major, Lombardi managed to tutor and volunteer—to give back.
These success stories are typical. They show how MESA supports students from disadvantaged backgrounds to successfully tackle some of the most difficult majors in higher education. And many take the time to pay it forward, to help others succeed. They understand from firsthand experience that just an extra bit of encouragement or assistance can ensure success—as MESA did for them.
Our state—and nation’s—economic woes can only be solved if all students are able to meet their full potential. MESA helps find students who are willing to work hard and become the STEM professionals that California companies need.
Oscar F. Porter
Executive Director, MESA
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