Fall 2010/Winter 2011
Ana Patricia Lopez: Southwestern, San Diego Zoo
As an environmental engineering major at Southwestern Community College, Ana Patricia Lopez feels that her recent summer internship at the Zoological Society of San Diego—otherwise known as the San Diego Zoo—was a perfect match with her studies and interest.
“I love animals and nature and I enjoy working with children and teaching them all of the great things they can do to protect our environment,” she said.
Lopez worked for the San Diego Zoo Camp, which aims at helping grade school children make better choices that impact wildlife and biodiversity through summer classes. Lopez got the internship through the San Diego MESA Alliance NSF summer team internship program.
“I have no words to describe how MESA has been amazing all the way,” she said. “I have had the opportunity to get involved in the field by participating in events such as shadow days, leadership summits and campus visits.”
She said her involvement with MESA has helped her with her career goals. Lopez hopes to transfer to UC San Diego and wants to work in nature conservation.
Michael Lombardi: Chico State, Chevron
Growing up in rural mount shasta, Michael Lombardi thought the idea of attending college didn’t seem like a reality. His mother hadn’t finished high school and higher learning wasn’t discussed at home.
After becoming involved in MESA at Butte College, Lombardi not only transferred to CSU Chico and will graduate this year, but he also just completed a summer internship with Chevron, courtesy of MESA. “MESA gave me a lot of opportunities and those opportunities allowed me to prove myself in the technical world,” he said.
During his internship, Lombardi wrote an application plug-in that solved several information management issues of seismic data collection. Chico State MESA Director Paul Villegas said Lombardi is not only a good student but a helpful colleague.
“As a MESA Engineering Program student Michael is well revered by the students in the program he tutors. He spends numerous hours in the MEP study center and is always willing to help others even when he is not working,” Villegas said.
While at Butte College, Lombardi—a computer science major—tutored in many classes, received a National Science Foundation scholarship and even volunteered to help paint the MESA center.
“Through MESA I’ve learned a lot about teaching and learning and it’s given me a new perspective on volunteering. A lot of great things have happened because of my involvement in MESA.”
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