2019-2020 Newsletter Final

E d m o n d s 2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 0 MESA COMMUNITY REVIEW C o l l e g e 2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 0 A c a d e m i c Y e a r O v e r v i e w The Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement (MESA) program focuses on initiatives to improve diversity and retention of historically underrepresented students in the STEM fields, including African American, Latinx/Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and women students. EQUITY ACCESS COMMUNITY We believe that race and gender MESA students will have access to Together, we will build and be should not be predictors of STEM opportunities that will academically and part of a community that educational outcomes. professionally develop them into empowers each other. competitive STEM transfer students. WHO WE SERVE: MESA STUDENTS During the 2019-2020 academic year MESA served 59 students. Below are MESA Student demographics. American Indian / Native Hawaiian / Math and Alaska Native Pacific Islander Non-binary Physics Chemistry 3.4% 1.7% 3.4% 0% 5.1% 5.1% 5.1% 5.1% Latinx / Male White 37.3% Earth Sciences Computer Hispa1n8i.c6% 8.5% 28.8% 18.6% 33.9% 8.5% Science 37.3% 28.8% Racial and Gender Field Ethnic Identity of Study Asian Groups 18.6% Engineering 62.7% 25.4% 18.6% 25.4% Black / African Female Biology American 62.7% 27.1% 23.7% 27.1% 23.7% 100% 89.8% 75% 67.8% 71.2% IN THIS EDITION Welcome New MESA Student Center 50.8% Taking Action to Eradicate Anti- New Opportunities: Affinity 50% Black Racism: Update Based Clubs MESA Students Create Change MESA Students Generate 25% MESA Event Highlights Knowledge Transfer Student Spotlights Undocumented and Non- VISTA AmeriCorps Impact Resident Student Resources 0% MESA Scholarships 2020 Fall Quarter Events Students of Underrep- Low Income First Generation How You Can Make an Impact resented Color College Student in STEM WELCOME MESA STUDENTS We would like to start this newsletter with an acknowledgement of the land Edmonds CREATE CHANGE College (EC) occupies. We acknowledge that we are on the ancestral land of the Coast Salish People, specifically the Snohomish People. May we always honor the B r e n d a Indigenous people of the land we are on - past, present, and future, whereever we go. Brenda has made major contributions to Edmonds College serving as the Thank you for your commitment to dismantle institutionalized racism, sexism, and other Associated Students Executive Officer systems of oppression that our students face every day. If there is one thing that 2019 - for Administration by ensuring that all 2020 has taught us, it is the need to do just this; for people to come together and take student voices are being heard. On action to denounce and dismantle systems of oppression, specifically racism. Together several occasions, she has challenged faculty, staff, partners, and community can continue to come together to remove the leadership on their perspectives and barriers our historically underrepresented students face in their academic and career actions that have negatively impacted development. For some of you, this will be your first time learning about diversity, students. She actively advocates for equity, and inclusion student support programs. We hope you take the time to grow students at every level and is a strong within yourself and take action to create change. voice on campus. Some of Brenda's major contributions to campus has been This Community Review highlights a few MESA events, MESA resources, and most organizing Safe Space Chats for importantly, the students we serve. MESA students are leaders on and off campus, with students in support of Black Lives powerful dreams to solve some of the world's most pressing problems. We are honored Matter, helping secure funding for to have the opportunity to empower students, close equity gaps, and increase access. scholarships and the new Hazel Miller We thank you for your continued support and we look forward to the change 2020 - building, advocating for Services and 2021 will bring. Activities Fees to be equitably distributed, and speaking with policy makers in Olympia about financial aid TAKING ACTION TO ERADICATE reform. ANTI-BLACK RACISM: UPDATE In the Spring 2020 newsletter, we talked about how MESA was taking action to eradicate anti-Black racism at Edmonds College. We have been working to develop and continue programming based on students, staff, and faculty's recommendations and additional needs due to COVID-19 to best support and empower students. We have many ideas, short and long term, to create change. Three of them we are working on include: Developing workshops for students to teach them about racism, microaggressions, Brenda, MESA student and Executive Officer and anti-racism. for Administration. Using our social media platforms to elevate Black voices and contributions in STEM. #AmplifyBlackSTEM, #citeBlackSTEM, #citeBlackwomen Work to support and help establish affinity based clubs such as the National Society Brenda will be transferring to UW Seattle of Black Engineers (NSBE). this Fall to pursue a Bachelors degree in Informatics. By combining her technical While this is still a work in progress and there is much to be done, we are excited to and interpersonal skills, she hopes to continue to be part of a movement to create the change that has been needed for lead teams in developing innovative decades. solutions to empower people around the world. She truly believes that education #BlackLivesMatter is the gateway to opportunity and success, and has worked endlessly to ensure that students, regardless of their MESA EVENT HIGHLIGHTS race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status can have access U W P h y s i c s S l a m : F a l l 2 0 1 9 to it Edmonds College. Brenda has been an integral part of the MESA family and we will miss her vibrant personality and "UW Physics Slam was the start of my consistent advocacy. school year and really helped me confirm #BlackExcellence my interest and passion for science." -Zambak, MESA Student, Civil Engineering 2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 0 MESA students and staff at the Physics Slam. VISTA AMERICORPS TRANSFER STUDENT SPOTLIGHT IMPACT B e a t r i x A c c e s s , C o m m u n i t y , E q u i t y ( A C E ) I n i t i a t i v e W h a t u n i v e r s i t y w i l l y o u b e t r a n s f e r r i n g t o ? In 2019, MESA was awarded an AmeriCorps U n i v e r s i t y o f W a s h i n g t o n VISTA position to expand and enhance MESA programming through capacity building activities M a j o r ? and connections with partners. In August 2019, C o m p u t e r S c i e n c e a t t h e P a u l VISTA member Megan joined MESA as the G . A l l e n S c h o o l o f C o m p u t e r Access, Community, Equity (ACE) Program S c i e n c e Coordinator. W h a t c l u b s f o r o r g a n i z a t i o n s During her year of service, Megan contributed to Beatrix ready to transfer to UW Seattle in the w e r e y o u i n v o l v e d w i t h a t Fall. many MESA activities, services, and resources. E d m o n d s ? Some highlights from the service term are listed I w a s a c t i v e i n t h e E d C C R o c k e t r y S o c i e t y m y e n t i r e t i m e a t below. E d m o n d s . I w a s a l s o v i c e - p r e s i d e n t a n d p r e s i d e n t f o r a w h i l e . T h e p e o p l e i n t h a t c o m m u n i t y w e r e a w e s o m e , a n d t h e y h e l p e d Megan developed several key systems to m e b r a n c h o u t i n t o d i f f e r e n t a r e a s o f e n g i n e e r i n g a n d streamline and build MESA's capacity. These e n g i n e e r i n g t e c h n o l o g y . F o r e x a m p l e , I l e a r n e d h o w t o u s e include the Internship, Scholarship, and e q u i p m e n t l i k e t h e 3 D s c a n n e r , 3 D p r i n t e r , l a s e r c u t t e r , Conference Database, Lending Library, f i l a m e n t w i n d e r , a n d w i n d t u n n e l .

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