Excerpt from San Diego City College MESA – A Learning Culture:
Taking STEM Education to a New Level (Summer 2017)
BEFORE MESA
I grew up in Canada with my dad and sister. My family was very poor. We shared a 1-bedroom home, and we could only store perishable food in the winter because we could not afford a refrigerator. My father spent most of his time working and didn’t have much time to make sure I did well in school. I developed bad habits, and I never bothered studying or reading textbooks. I successfully enrolled in a local university, but dropped out after three semesters because I simply was not prepared. I then found myself unsure of who I wanted to be. I lived in Dublin (Ireland) and Santa Barbara before settling in San Diego. During this time I found myself always struggling through minimum wage jobs. I knew something needed to change in my life. Eventually I decided to give school another try, but this time I knew I needed a plan. I had a thirst for knowledge, but this thirst alone wasn’t enough to get me through college. Luckily, I found the MESA program.
WHAT THE MESA LEARNING CULTURE MEANS TO ME
MESA has empowered me to take control of my learning by providing flawless study techniques and a culture built around success. MESA only has one language: the language of success. Through MESA, I began speaking differently about my experiences. For example, I used to think going to office hours was intimidating, but MESA’s language helped me understand my intimidation further separated me from being in control of my education. I had to decide to either be intimidated or be successful. The MESA program also cultivates a family on campus. Working with MESA students is a rewarding experience because I feel surrounded by leaders and scholars. We take time to know each other’s goals and support each other to reach our potential. We operate on a dynamic of support. Without my MESA family, I would not have made it through my harder classes. Two of my MESA peers, Dalila Robledo and Luis Garcia, always picked me up when I was down. Without the MESA culture I would not have made it through college.
MY FUTURE
I am transferring to the University of California, Berkeley to pursue a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Because of MESA, I no longer fear graduate school. I fully intend to continue my education toward a doctorate. My career goal is to use data science to examine large sets of data to build a better understanding of the earth’s planetary processes, such as earthquakes and hurricanes. Through my career I hope to communicate earth science to broader communities who are impacted by natural events. MESA taught me that an empowered and knowledgeable community can make a greater impact and create wider change than just an individual.
MY ADVICE
My advice to students is to stay mentally tough. Getting a degree, regardless of the field, will push you far outside your comfort zone and will make you want to give up. Staying mentally tough will keep you moving forward through any challenge that comes your way. Whether you have a difficult class, family stress, or struggle with time management, stay tough! No one will advocate for you, so you need to be your own Rocky Balboa and fight your way to freedom.
Jennifer Grant transferred from San Diego City College to the University of California Berkeley, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics/Data Science on her way to becoming a science professional. She is currently a Data Scientist with Donor Network West.