1. The City College MESA Program
“A Culture of Success”
The City College MESA Program
Rafael Alvarez - MESA Program Director
& MESA Master Fighters!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011

2. Topics – Engage, Educate, Empower
MESA Overview
Culture
Commitment: Victim/Creator
MESA Model
Tools & Resources
MESA Master Fighters!

3. MESA Mission
The MESA mission is to enable educationally disadvantaged students to prepare for and graduate from a four-year college or university with a math-based degree while:
developing academic and leadership skills,
increasing educational performance,
and gaining confidence in their ability to compete professionally.

4. MESA History Established in California in 1970
Currently 68 MESA Programs statewide serve K-12, community college and university students
Thirteen states have adopted MESA model
Recipient of Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.

5. Highlights
City College MESA Program serves nearly 200 students annually
San Diego MESA Alliance serves over 2,200 students annually with partner programs at San Diego State University, Southwestern College and middle/high schools in San Diego and Imperial Valley
MESA Industry Advisory Board – over 30 industry partners
National Science Foundation (NSF) - STEP Award
California Space Grant Consortium

6. What is Culture?
"the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group"
"the characteristic features of everyday existence shared by people in a place or time <popular culture>"
"the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization <a corporate culture>"

7. The Secret is Culture!
Culture of Success
Language of Success
STEM

8. Choice? Victims … FAILURE Creators … SUCCESS Blame others Complain
Make excuses
Repeat ineffective behavior
“Have to” do things
Pretend their problems belong to others
“Try”
Give up
FAILURE
Victims seldom achieve goals
Creators …
Accept responsibility
Take actions
Seek solutions
Do something new
“Choose to” do things
Own their problems
Commit & follow through
Take control of their choices & their lives!
SUCCESS
Creators often achieve goals

9. The Model – City’s MESA Program

10. The Model – City’s MESA Program

11. The Model – City’s MESA Program
Capstone

16. Academic Development Individual Academic Plans & Advising
College Orientation
STEM Course Clustering
Tutoring
Faculty & Peer Mentoring
Scholarships
College & Career Exploration
Transfer Assistance
University Campus Tours

17. Personal-Professional Development
Summer Team Internships
Walk-on-Water Competition
MESA Olympics & Robotics Challenge
Joint Planning Conference for Engineering & Science Chapters
MESA Leadership Summit
Industry Training Academies
Job Shadow Day
Resume Writing & Mock Interviews

19. Home for the MESA Family!

20. MESA Center Tutoring, counseling & resources provided
Training & mentoring offered
Academic & social interaction facilitated
University bridging & industry exposure introduced

21. MESA Master Fighters!