On Friday, May 8th, the MESA program at Skyline College gathered students, families, and friends to celebrate a meaningful milestone: the MESA End-of-Year Graduation Celebration.
The evening brought the community together over a catered dinner from Ono Hawaiian Grill, a festive photo booth, and a graduation ceremony honoring our MESA and STEM students who are moving on to the next chapter of their academic journeys.
The celebration kicked off with an inspiring keynote from Dr. Carol Hernandez, Vice President of Instruction, who shared her educational and career journey with candor and warmth. She spoke about how a rejection for a faculty position unexpectedly opened the door to becoming MESA Director — an opportunity she described as one of the best of her life, eventually leading her to become a dean and now VPI. Dr. Hernandez reflected on the deep fulfillment of dedicating her career to expanding access and helping students succeed, and encouraged graduates to keep going, reminding them that opportunities often come when least expected.
Three graduating students also took the stage to share their own stories.
Samanta Chang Kuoman, transferring to UC Berkeley to study Data Science, spoke about how her time at Skyline and MESA gave her the confidence to achieve far more than she once thought possible.
Aaron Torres Mendoza, heading to UC Merced for Mechanical Engineering, reflected on how he often found himself on the outside of programs and opportunities, but through MESA, he gained access to research experiences, internships, and conferences, along with the support he needed to push through and succeed.
Ariana Cerna, transferring to CSU Long Beach to study Mechanical Engineering, spoke movingly about the moments when she wasn’t sure she could keep going, and how the MESA program showed up for her, believed in her, and helped her find her way.
After the speeches, graduates were recognized in a ceremony and presented with certificates marking their achievement. The celebration continued with the cutting of the MESA cake and plenty of time at the photo booth, giving families and friends a chance to step into their graduates’ world at Skyline and send them off with cheers, photos, and full hearts.
To each of this year’s MESA graduates: we are so proud of everything you’ve accomplished, and we have no doubt you will go far. It has been an honor to be a part of your journey.
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MESA – Math, Engineering, Science Achievement – is an academic enrichment program that helps educationally underrepresented students excel in math and science and graduate from college with degrees in calculus-based fields. Founded in 1970, the MESA program serves pre-college, community college, and university students at over 100 sites throughout California. Skyline College’s MESA Program is part of the MESA California Community College Programs (MCCP).
Interested in future MESA and STEM Center events and opportunities? Stop by the MESA Center in 7-309 or the STEM Center in 7-303, visit www.skylinecollege.edu/mesa or email skymesa@smccd.edu.
