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.
July 19, 2023
Mesa students will improve the TerraMesa Community Garden to address food security
San Diego, CA. — In July, 2023, the San Diego Foundation, in partnership with the County of San Diego, announced it has awarded San Diego Mesa College $125,000 to work with program partner Garden 31 and student leaders to address food sovereignty by improving the TerraMesa Community Garden, expanding programming, and deepening collaboration with other food security initiatives on campus.
The award is part of $5,563,500 in grants provided to 43 community-based organizations - including San Diego Mesa College - to help San Diegans experiencing food insecurity by supporting localized, sustainable food production and distribution throughout the region. The Community Food Grant Program focuses on efforts to strengthen and scale community-led strategies to address food and nutrition insecurity with local solutions that prioritize low-income and historically marginalized communities.
The San Diego Mesa College TerraMesa Community Garden was established in 2015 when a student approached Dr. Waverly Ray, Geography Professor at Mesa College, with a vision to create a local, sustainable source of organic produce right on campus. Since then, Dr. Ray has supported dozens of students over the years in growing out the garden to what it is today: nearly 4,000 square feet of community space inclusive of four plots with drip irrigation, a greenhouse, compost hub, shed, and native plant garden and propagation space.
The goal is for Mesa’s community of students - via the Garden - to receive streamlined access to healthy and sustainable food options. As such, Mesa will continue to create the conditions for student leaders to effect change to food systems via the garden, provide internships, and open pathways into careers in the field of sustainable agriculture and food systems change.
As part of the grant, Mesa College and Garden 31 will:
· Make site improvements to garden to increase production and distribute produce, increase ADA accessibility, and add an indoor/outdoor classroom
· Expand programs to promote leadership, offer internships and workshops, create a pipeline of diverse talent into sustainable agriculture
· Increase collaboration to integrate garden into campus initiatives and classroom experiences
The Community Food Grant Program contributes to building resilient communities, a pillar of the SDF Strategic Plan, by addressing equity barriers and creating a more inclusive and accessible food system for all. Funding for the Community Food Grant Program is made possible through a partnership with the County of San Diego.
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.
About the Collaborative Partner, Garden 31
Garden 31 Community Initiative Inc., a nonprofit organization founded in 2021, leverages sustainable food systems to build community wealth and health. Under the leadership of founder Christopher Burroughs, Garden 31 creates equitable and sustainable food supplies that empower local communities and delivers unique programming that educates and inspires future leaders. In addition to building gardens across San Diego County and throughout some of the region’s most impoverished neighborhoods, Garden31 helps people build the skills needed to transform their own communities by harnessing the connection between plants, power, and people.
About San Diego Foundation
San Diego Foundation inspires enduring philanthropy and enables community solutions to improve the quality of life in our region. Our strategic priorities include advancing racial and social justice, fostering equity of opportunity, building resilient communities, and delivering world-class philanthropy to realize our vision of just, equitable and resilient communities. The Environment Initiative seeks to preserve and protect our resources, build a more sustainable path of economic growth and ensure a higher quality of life for those who call San Diego home. For more than 48 years, SDF and its donors have granted more than $1.4 billion to support nonprofit organizations strengthening our community. Learn more at SDFoundation.org.
About the County of San Diego
Guided by a vision of a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all, the County of San Diego delivers services and programs to its 3.3 million residents and those who work or do business within its 4,200 square miles. Its work is driven by the values of integrity, equity, access, belonging, excellence, and sustainability. Working in partnership with community and recognizing that innovation is required to meet today’s challenges, the County of San Diego drives outcomes through data-informed collaboration.
Find San Diego Mesa College on Social Media:
Facebook.com: sandiegomesacollege
Twitter.com: sdmesacollege
Instagram.com: sdmesacollege
Youtube: youtube.com: sdmesacollege
Snapchat: sdmesacollege
LinkedIn: San Diego Mesa College
Tags: Community Food Grant, The San Diego Foundation, Grant, Food
Jennifer Nichols Kearns
Director of Communications
jnkearns@sdccd.edu
(619) 388-2759
San Diego, CA. — In July, 2023, the San Diego Foundation, in partnership with the County of San Diego, announced it has awarded San Diego Mesa College $125,000 to work with program partner Garden 31 and student leaders to address food sovereignty by improving the TerraMesa Community Garden, expanding programming, and deepening collaboration with other food security initiatives on campus.
