On Friday, August 15, nine Skyline College and College of San Mateo MESA students joined students from Mission and West Valley Colleges to visit Stanford University’s Community College Outreach Program (CCOP) Summer Symposium, which was an event wrapping up their Summer CORE Program.
Stanford’s CORE (CCOP Opportunities in Research Engagement) program is a paid 10-week research internship program for Bay Area community college students, aiming to increase access to research opportunities and mentorship in the biosciences. The Summer Symposium gave visiting students a chance to see what this summer’s CORE interns had been working on.
The day began with poster presentations in the Bass Courtyard, where interns shared their research findings and reflected on their lab experiences. From 12 to 2 PM, students enjoyed lunch and engaged with the interns, asking questions and learning about the wide range of bioscience research happening at Stanford. Afterward, students toured several research labs, met lab mentors, and got a behind-the-scenes look at Stanford’s scientific facilities.
The experience offered a powerful glimpse into the world of academic research and inspired students to explore future opportunities in science and engineering.
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 math-based fields. Founded in 1970, the MESA program serves pre-college, community college, and university students at over 90 sites throughout California. Skyline College’s MESA Program is part of the MESA California Community College Programs (MCCP).
For more information about MESA, please contact Emilie Hein, heine@smccd.edu or Denise Hum, humd@smccd.edu, MESA co-directors, or Stephanie Wells, wellss@smccd.edu, MESA Program Services Coordinator.
Article by Stephanie Wells
