October 22, 2021
Mesa College Foundation Board Director Alex Szeto Receives 2021 HENAAC Award
By Office of Communications
Great Minds in STEM (GMiS) has awarded Alexander Szeto of Northrop Grumman and Mesa College Foundation Board Member,
a 2021 Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference (HENAAC) Award for
Community Service at the GMiS 33rd Annual Conference held on October 18-20.
At Northrop Grumman, Mr. Szeto leads a team overseeing the full engineering life cycle
of special test equipment for the F-35 Raptor program – a team that includes senior
engineers and technical fellows. Despite these and other high-profile responsibilities
at Northrop Grumman, he still makes the time to volunteer thousands of hours to coach,
mentor, and fundraise for STEM- and education-related initiatives in and around his
San Diego home. As the head coach of Team Inspiration, a robotics team of fifteen
students, Mr. Szeto led his squad to the FIRST Robotics world championship in Houston
three different years.
He also serves as a Public Director on the San Diego Mesa College Foundation board
– a position he has held since 2017. The Mesa College Foundation raises hundreds of thousands
of dollars annually for scholarships, direct aid, grants and other services that directly
benefit thousands of Mesa College students annually – in part due to Mr. Szeto’s leadership.
His commitment to community service is his small way of paying back a nation that
took him in as an 18-year-old refugee from Vietnam with just a ninth-grade education
and limited English capability.
"Alex is a tireless advocate for Mesa students, and proudly says that Mesa changed
his life," states Mesa College President Pamela Luster.
For 33 years, GMiS has recognized the achievements of America’s top engineers and
scientists from the Hispanic community. These STEM leaders, innovators and champions
represent the best and brightest minds our nation has to offer. They are symbols of
Hispanic contributions at the highest levels of academia, government, military and
corporate America. HENAAC award winners are proof that the Hispanic community is capable
of stepping up to the leadership roles that the new demographics position demands.
Winners receive their award at the HENAAC Awards show, a black-tie gala event that
serves as the climax of the annual GMiS Conference in October.
Tags: HENAAC, Alexander Szeto, Northrop Grumman, #HSI, GMiS, Great Minds in STEM, Mesa Foundation, #STEMCenter