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.
December 4, 2023
San Diego Mesa College professor, Dr. Waverly Ray, has recently returned from a nine-day voyage from Seattle to Honolulu on the R/V Thomas G. Thompson, an oceanographic research vessel, with STEMSEAS. Dr. Ray joined community college faculty from 13 schools and the Office of Naval Research’s Research Facilities Program Manager Robert Sparrock. Dr. Ray was chosen to participate out of hundreds of applicants.
STEMSEAS provides ship-based, 6-10-day exploratory experiences for undergraduates from diverse backgrounds aboard National Science Foundation-funded research vessels. The goals of this special expedition were to help community college faculty feel prepared to serve as future STEMSEAS expedition mentors; expose faculty to the STEMSEAS experience so they can authentically encourage their students to take advantage of these opportunities, and provide an exciting, unique and potentially transformative professional development opportunity for community college faculty. This first-of-its-kind expedition aimed to partner with “one of higher education’s most undervalued resources, community college faculty.”
“Sailing across the Pacific Ocean from Seattle to Honolulu for nine days on an oceanographic research vessel was an invigorating experience…I got to be a student again on a wide array of ocean science topics from currents to salinity and plankton to microplastics.” stated Dr. Ray.
Dr. Ray also witnessed the deployment of two Argo robots that will collect temperature and salinity data from the middle depths of the ocean, providing vital data for scientists working to develop climate models on ocean warming.
“Walking aboard, I didn’t know my muster station from my mess deck or the many intricacies of deploying instruments that measure the ocean’s salinity, temperature, oxygen isotopes, or seafloor seismic activity,” she shared.
“I am in awe of the knowledge and skills of the marine technicians and crew of the R/V Thompson, which is operated by the University of Washington’s School of Oceanography. They welcomed questions and shared their insights on the many different career paths available at sea.”
STEAMSEAS hopes to include more community college students in their voyages.
“Being a part of a STEMSEAS cruise is a phenomenal opportunity, and I want to encourage any student interested in our water planet to apply,” says Dr. Ray.
San Diego Mesa College provides multiple Academic and Career Pathways for students to dive into STEM subjects from Geology to Marine Science. To learn more, explore Mesa’s Academic-Career Pathways in Earth and Environment or Engineering, Math, and Sciences.
About San Diego Mesa College
San Diego Mesa College is a fully accredited, comprehensive community college committed to access, success, and equity. We honor those commitments as a diverse community of students, faculty, professional staff, and administrators who collaborate to foster scholarship, leadership, innovation, and excellence in an inclusive learning environment. By promoting student learning and achievement that leads to degrees and certificates, transfer, workforce training, and lifelong learning, we empower our students to reach their educational goals and shape their future. Among the largest community colleges in California, Mesa College serves 30,000 students per year, 25% of whom are full-time. Mesa offers nearly 200 associate degree and certificate programs and is one of 15 California community colleges offering a four-year baccalaureate degree. Mesa ranks as San Diego’s top transfer institution, is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution and a Military Friendly School, serving more than 3,500 veterans and their families. www.sdmesa.edu.
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Tags: Geology, Marine Biology, Press Release, Faculty
Dr. Wavery Ray
wray@sdccd.edu
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.
In honor of Mesa College Giving Day, the Newsroom features the accomplishments of several amazing San Diego Mesa College students. The eight students featured here have distinguished themselves, but they represent just a fraction of what Mesa Olympians achieve every day here on campus and in the world. To celebrate them and the future students who will call Mesa home, consider joining us to celebrate #MesaGivingDay. Give now until Saturday May 25, 2024 to double your gift and support Mesa students.
San Diego –On Monday, July 22 to Thursday, July 25, 2024, the San Diego Mesa College Softball program and Nike’s US Sports Camp program will host a half day and day camp for local girls, ages 6-14, at all levels of experience with Softball. Campers will learn the skills required to successfully play at a competitive level and maximize their potential as players.
