November 2009
Q: What does MESA mean to you?
A: MESA helped me build a strong foundation before moving to the four year college. It taught me the value of having a network as well as how individually you may fail at certain tasks but as a team you will succeed. Not only did it provide me a great place to learn but also some wonderful experiences that I will always remember. Some of these experiences are an internship at Space and Naval Warfare, summer barbecues at the beach, chess tournaments, robotic competitions, fun workshops where I got to give back. It really is a great program, it requires us introverts to come out of our shell, but if you make the effort it will pay dividends back towards your education/happiness in school.
Q:When were you involved in MESA and how did you hear about it?
A: I was involved with MESA from 2001-2004 (at Southwestern College). I originally heard about the program during calculus 1 from a friend who wanted to do a robotics competition and said the program offered help with math.
Q: How did MESA help you?
A: MESA helped me gain strong with relationships with fellow students.
Q: Was there something MESA offered that particularly helped you with your classes or major?
A: Tutoring/close relationships with passionate individuals who were working towards a common goal, in this case education. The program also provided me with connections and internship possibilities while in school. The biggest gain for me was experience with an internship at SPAWAR as well as an opportunity to be a tutor which allowed me to grow leadership skills and minimize my student loans.
Q: When did you graduate and what was your degree in?
A: I graduated in December of 2008 from UCSD with a degree in Computer Science.
Q: What do you do now?
A: I work for Microsoft as a Software Development Engineer in Test.
Q: What advice do you give students in math, science or engineering fields?
A: Don't give up. These classes will be some of the hardest courses you take. They will push you to the breaking point, but as with life you need to overcome these challenges to be successful. Another key is to gain networks, many engineering courses are built in such a way you cannot pass without working in teams/seeking help. This is absolutely crucial; use all your resources and gain strong ties with your friends. This can help in more ways than you think as well, for example sharing books, prepping for exams, homework, brainstorming, etc. The other crucial element is once you graduate these networks will play an even bigger role. When I graduated I was offered a position at Microsoft, once I was working here I was able to pass some resumes of people I knew to the UCSD recruiter. This resulted in them both going through a rigorous interview cycle but ultimately they ended up getting a job... networking is key. The final advice I have is get internships, the more the better .... In my experience job experience is just as important as good grades going through school. I have seen the most successful individuals have two traits, 1) book knowledge and 2) job experience. The job experience will help you take what you learn and actually apply it to day-to-day operations.
Q: Were you the first person in your family to go to college? If so, how does that feel?
A: In my immediate family I was the first to go to college and graduate. Graduating makes you feel very proud and having programs like MESA helps you reach that goal.
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