Fall 2010/Winter 2011
"Confidence, consistency, concentration,” MESA UCLA Director Enrique Ainsworth affirmed at the closing ceremony for the Science, Mathematics, Achievement, and Research Technology for Students (SMARTS) program in August. It was a mantra familiar to all students through the course of the program.
SMARTS is a six-week summer college preparation program that focuses on science, technology, engineering and math instruction and training. The program supports high school students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds in the Los Angeles and Inglewood Unified School Districts. This year, of the 38 SMARTS participants, 28 were MESA students.
The MESA students were very enthusiastic about the SMARTS program, including its Research Apprentice Program, where small groups of students work in the UCLA labs and are mentored by graduate students and professors.
SMARTS helped some students shape their career goals. Hakeem Omatayo, a senior at Hawthorne Math and Science Academy, originally thought he wanted to become an engineer in
aerospace technology, but through his SMARTS experience, has become more interested in biomedical engineering.
Another student, Eric Lopez, a senior from Palisades Charter HS, had his aspirations to enter the aerospace sector reinforced by the work he did.
Chukwudalu Ezenekwe, a senior from the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, had concerns going into the SMARTS robotics course expecting the math to be very difficult. Instead he found that “you don’t have to be a math person to have a lot of fun in the class.”
The closing ceremony gave a chance for two MESA student groups to present their research findings. Hakeem Omatayo’s and Chukwudalu Ezenekwe’s presentation revealed the extraordinary mechanics behind prosthetics. Meanwhile, Kevin Chang and Eric Lopez proposed a new type of battery in their presentation.
Alice Tanaka summed up, “It’s great to be able to meet other students with math and science as their focus. You can just be yourself around them. I don’t have to hold back, and I feel very comfortable. You can be a geek, and it’s cool and fun."
Contributed by Justin Ilumin
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