Welcome to the MESA family!
A Tradition of Success

Once upon a time

One story of success ...

Eleven MESA students were enrolled in a Calculus II class.  They each faced different challenges: one student took several tries to pass Calc I; one student failed previous tries in Calc II; one student was a new high school grad; two students failed the first exam in Calc II, etc.  But this Calc II class was different.  Being in the MESA Program, the 11 students worked together and used the many tools in the MESA Foundation for Learning, especially BPR and Big Picture Approach to Problem Solving.  The result was 100% success!  All 11 MESA students passed Calc II.  Meanwhile, there were 17 non MESA students in the same class.  These students did not have the benefit of MESA support and MESA tools for learning.  Only 5 of these 17 students passed Calc II.

Another story of success ...

There was a MESA student who was majoring in Biology.  Like many other students she had financial challenges, but she was very focused on her studies.  All of her free time was dedicated to her school work, and she was not interested in any programs outside of her classes.  But one day she learned through MESA about the Bridges to the Future Program at SDSU, and she decided to give it a try before transferring to SDSU.  Through the Bridges program, our MESA student had internships at the Scripps Research Institute and Burnham Institute, and she participated in a summer program at M.I.T.  When she graduated from SDSU, she was offered a full scholarship to earn her Ph.D. in Biology from Harvard!

What will be YOUR MESA story?

The Promise

More than a support program, MESA promises a transformational experience.  Through MESA guidance, support and shared experiences with other MESA students, you will experience the MESA culture, grow as an individual, succeed academically and explore many opportunities while working toward achieving your goals.   The cornerstone of the MESA culture is the MESA Foundation for Learning, with many key resources and tools for learning “how to learn” and developing your learning skills.  The MESAdvantage Report Card guides the development of MESA students, with a focus on activities in Academics, Counseling, University Bridging, Industry Exposure and Community Service.  The MESA Capstone identifies the purpose for the learning – FREEDOM!  But the greatest resource in the MESA Program is the MESA students, with common majors, common classes and common experiences.

Ways to Fulfill the MESA Promise

Like MESA Creators before you, You must take responsibility for your own learning and support the learning of others by participating, working with others, satisfying MESA requirements and contributing to the MESA culture.  Make MESA your program and choose to be a MESA Creator.  Enjoy the MESA experience!

Handout: MESA Promise (PDF)



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