"Before I found MESA, I never really felt connected at DVC. I was completing courses for my major of Molecular and Cell Biology, but didn’t have the connection with like-minded individuals. I came across MESA and decided to apply. Immediately after joining MESA, I felt a sense of belonging. There was something about sharing this journey with people who are engaged and on the same path that made it much more meaningful. I soon became a chemistry tutor for MESA and began to give back to other students in the program. Through MESA I was able to be afforded many resources that I may have not been aware of prior to MESA. Between an immense amount of resources, wonderful faculty, and being alongside like-minded students I found myself completely immersed in a cohort that changed my life."

- Amber Peake, DVC '22 Molecular Biology, UC Berkeley Transfer

"MESA has been a tremendous support for me. It provided all the assistance I needed in achieving my goals. I had counseling support for my educational plan, tutoring, and financial assistance, and most importantly I discovered a community that I consider family. Before MESA, I was completely alone. I will be eternally grateful to MESA for allowing me to join at the right time and the right place, and it is definitely the best thing that has happened to me since I attended Community College otherwise, I would have given up on my aspirations a long time ago or would have battled incessantly. Anyone who is intrigued and passionate about STEM can do it, and sometimes all we need is to be part of a fantastic program like MESA to empower us and provide us with everything we need to succeed!"

- - Lynda Ounnar, Computer Science

"Being chosen to attend this MESA Student Leadership Conference 2018 was something my mentor had always pushed on me to attend. I’m grateful to have been part of the growing movement that’s behind MES, whose mission is to fulfill the dreams of minorities and first generations in STEM."

- Pauline Poe, Aerospace Engineering

“MESA literally is home on campus for STEM students. Stepping onto DVC’s campus for the first time, I had already heard about the support group, but I didn’t think the impact it had on me was going to be as great as it was. Once I actually started going to the center, I was pleasantly surprised to be surrounded by friendly optimistic peers; some who conveniently were in most of my classes.

- Gabriel Gebru, Mechanical Engineering, MESA alum

“Joining MESA was one of the best decisions I made at DVC. Through MESA I was able to meet and connect with students with similar interests. MESA connected me to events on and off of campus. I was able to connect with Avenue E through MESA, and even gain a specialized STEM lab tour of the UC Davis campus that I would have otherwise missed out on.”

- Chris Calderon, Environmental Engineering, MESA alum

“Being a part of MESA (Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement) was a tremendous resource for me during my time in DVC. One part of MESA that was very beneficial to me was the specialized tutoring for some of the more difficult math and science classes. Equally as important, participating in MESA allowed me to develop friendships and network with other students whose educational and career goals were similar to mine.”

- Joseph Worku, Computer Science, MESA Alum

As a first-generation student, I did not have a clue on how to be successful in college, let alone in a STEM-related field. When I graduated high school my reading, writing, and math skills were nowhere near college level. However, MESA did not look at what I lacked as a student. Instead, they saw potential that I did not know I had. Because of the support MESA staff and students gave me, I am now a senior at UC Davis studying Computational Cognitive Science.

- Luis Almendarez, Cognitive Science Engineer