On Friday, April 10, 2026, about 20 MESA students from Skyline College and College of San Mateo visited UC Santa Cruz.
The day opened with presentations from UCSC’s Educational Opportunity Programs (EOP) and STARRS (Services for Transfer Re-entry and Resilient Scholars Students), giving students a clear picture of the support systems available to them if they transfer. An admissions representative also walked the group through the application process, what UCSC looks for in community college transfers, and what the housing options are for transfer students.
A highlight of the visit was a student panel hosted by UCSC’s STEM Diversity Program, featuring recent community college transfers from diverse backgrounds who are now conducting research in labs right on campus. Their stories were a powerful reminder of what’s possible, and they had helpful tips for how to find research opportunities at the UC after transfer. One panelist then took the group for a peek inside the engineering lab in which he currently works.
Finally, students toured the campus itself, walking trails through towering redwoods, spotting actual banana slugs along the way, and exploring the STEM library. When the coastal fog finally lifted, the ocean came into view. Everyone went home with UCSC swag, including banana slug plushies, and for some, a new college on their list.
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). To learn more about MESA, please visit www.skylinecollege.edu/mesa or email skymesa@smccd.edu.
