May 2010
Q: When were you involved in MESA and how did you hear about it?
A: I learned of the MESA program my freshman year at Piedmont Hills High School in San Jose. My science teacher suggested I attend an information session with my parents to get a better understanding of the program. From then on, throughout my 4 years in high school, I participated in various events including MESA Day and Statewide MESA Day, earning medals for competitions in math, rockets, egg drop, balsawood gliders, and others.
When I went off to college at Santa Clara University, I came back to work as a student assistant at the San Jose State University MESA office for 2 years and then became a co-advisor the following two years at a middle school and a high school. The year after I graduated from Santa Clara with a B.S. in Finance, I continued volunteering for various events working for the SJSU MESA center as an advisor for their Washington Square chapter which meets one Saturday a month at SJSU.
Q: Are you still involved with MESA?
A: Once I started working at Cisco Systems, I joined an affinity group called "Conexion" which is a group composed of mainly Latino employees focusing on reaching out to the youth in our communities. I was selected to be the "relationship manager" between Cisco Conexion and the SJSU MESA Program. In that capacity, I arranged and hosted a few events at Cisco campus – primarily, a teacher orientation at the beginning of the school year as well as coordinating with the LEGO Robotics to provide guidance and structure for an annual LEGO Robotics Day/Competition.
This year, I have had many changes in my professional and personal life; changing roles and taking on a managerial position at work as well as having become a new daddy of a beautiful 5 month old baby girl (Sofia Love) – these changes have restricted the amount of time I can dedicate to the volunteer activities so I have passed on my role as relationship manager within Cisco to another employee who is equally excited about the program as I am. I do look forward to the day my daughter becomes part of the program and hope to become an active participant again.
Q: How did MESA affect you?
A: MESA introduced me to the concept of college, the purpose behind getting good grades in high school, and gave me a glimpse of potential opportunities in the corporate world – that exposure was perhaps the most inspiring aspect to me.
Q: Was there something MESA offered that particularly helped you with your classes (or major)?
A: More than just a particular area of help, MESA offered a support system where I felt comfortable reaching out to my advisors/teachers with questions regarding class work or other opportunities.
Q: What is your degree in and when did you graduate?
A: I have a B.S. in Commerce with emphasis in Finance from Santa Clara University. I graduated in 2004.
Q: What do you do now?
A: I am now a Business Operations Manager in the US Channels Finance organization at Cisco Systems. I support a sales force of over 300 agents and am responsible for compiling key financial metrics that measure growth and opportunities of our business.
Q: What advice do you give other students in math, science or engineering fields?
A: My advice is as good as any other. I am 28 years old and now I feel like I know less than what I thought I knew when I was in high school. I would say, listen to everyone's comments/opinions/lectures, analyze the information you receive from them, and come up with your own conclusions – don't be afraid to question those people but make sure to be respectful of their views as we are all entitled to have our own. What I would add are some words that I heard at one point in my life and have come to make more sense as I've gone through it:
Q: Were you the first person in your family to go to college? If so, how does that feel?
A: Yes, I was the first in my family to attend college. It was a great experience and my family was extremely proud of my achievements. Of course, I could not have done it without their support and guidance as well.
Q: What does MESA mean to you?
A: To me, MESA is like family. My experience with the program has been such that the program staff, advisors, and corporate sponsors have all been genuinely interested in my success and have gone beyond their immediate responsibilities to ensure that I, as well as my peers, have had access to all the necessary resources to pursue a higher education and move on to excel in a professional career.
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