Second-year student Zora Williams is using her voice to bring more mental health and nutrition programming to San Diego Mesa College. Williams was elected president of the college’s Associated Students (AS) for the 2024-2025 academic year and serves as the college’s student representative on the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees.
Sometimes, you hear a story that makes you want to know more. Kevin Gonzalez has such a story. The last time this story was updated, San Diego Mesa College student Kevin Gonzalez was a 15 year-old heading off to Massachusetts to complete his high school education. In the ensuing years, he has travelled to the other side of the world, built houses, but remained in close contact with his Mesa College professors and connections he made while on campus.
The San Diego Community College District has appointed four new student trustees for the upcoming academic year. Dalia Ramirez (San Diego City College), Zora Williams (San Diego Mesa College), Hailey Hua (San Diego Miramar College), and Haydee Zuniga (San Diego College of Continuing Education), will be sworn in during the June 20 SDCCD Board of Trustees meeting.
October 24, 2016
Alma Fuentes, a Custodial Crew Leader in the Facilities Department at San Diego Mesa College, has been recognized by the Committee for Diversity Action, Inclusion and Equity for having October’s “Smile of the Month.”
According to CDAIE Chair Judy Sundayo, the Smile of the Month was created in June 2016 as an informal way to recognize and honor the diversity, depth and humanity of employees at Mesa College.
“The person who suggested Alma Fuentes to be honored was impressed by her smile, her readiness to engage and help others and her commitment to her job and the campus as a whole,” Sundayo said.
Fuentes – who has worked at Mesa College for seven years – said she loves to serve the students, faculty and staff on campus, and she enjoys seeing people enjoy the spaces that she takes care of.
“My favorite part is the satisfaction that I feel after giving good service to the students in regards to helping them out with directions or making the campus safer if I detect a safety issue, cleaning and having everything sanitized and ready for the students,” Fuentes said.
Sundayo added that Fuentes’ caring attitude toward the Mesa family was a major factor for her being honored this month. Her family roots delve into the campus, as her father Rosalio Fuentes and his “green thumb” worked in the gardens at Mesa College for 28 years.
“I feel very proud of the work and years of service my dad did for Mesa College,” Fuentes said. “[Gardening] runs in the family – we like to do outdoors things. Where we live, we have a garden and we always help our dad have fruits and vegetables – we always grew up around plants and trees.”
In her free time, Fuentes said she spends time with her five children, helping them out with their homework and having dinner with her family every night to “keep the sense of togetherness.”
“Family means everything to Alma,” Sundayo said. “Although she has five children and a wonderful extended family, Alma regards the Mesa campus community as her ‘family’ as well. This is evident in the way she treats everyone with the same great care and concern she gives to her family.”
Tags: CDAIE, Smile of the Month, Alma Fuentes, Committee for Diversity Action Inclusion and Equity
Jennifer Nichols Kearns
Director of Communications
jnkearns@sdccd.edu
(619) 388-2759
Judy Sundayo, Ph.D.
Professor - Counseling Department; Chair - Committee for Diversity Action, Inclusion
& Equity
jsundayo@sdccd.edu
(619) 388-2793
San Diego, CA – All through the month of November 2023, San Diego Mesa College will celebrate Native American Heritage Month with student panels, film screenings, resource sessions and a flag raising ceremony. The Mesa College Committee for Diversity Action, Inclusion & Equity (CDAIE) has worked closely with local tribal leaders and students to plan culturally relevant events, and recently facilitated the adoption of a Land Acknowledgement for the College.
Recently, San Diego Mesa College discovered the posting of flyers across campus that targeted particular ethnic groups. The College followed its free speech policy, and only removed flyers that were improperly posted. This included postings on electronic signboards causing potential damage to college equipment. The Art Gallery was also impacted as materials were defaced with flyers posted over them. The incident was reported to District Police as well as the San Diego Police Department, who continue to monitor the situation.
San Diego Mesa College strongly opposes the racist language used by those who are posting these fliers. To be clear – any doctrine that elevates one group above another has no place at Mesa College and we condemn any language or actions that promote racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, violence, discrimination and other forms of hate.
San Diego Mesa College celebrated diversity inclusion through four days of workshops, lectures and events during the annual Festival of Colors and Cultural Unity Week on campus from April 10 to 13.
