Cal State LA was abuzz with activities over the weekend-little robots jumping about, rockets made from construction paper flying over Reeder Field, and hundreds of young, aspiring scientists eager to find out how science made it all possible.

The College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology (ECST) hosted its
annual MESA STEM Day on Saturday, Oct. 19, welcoming about 750 students from 17 high schools, 13 middle schools, and three community colleges.

The program, which celebrated its 20th anniversary, is a potential game-changer for some of the scientifically inclined students who visited the campus.

"MESA STEM Day is a main tool to recruit students to our program," said Adriana Tellez Andrade, ECST outreach coordinator and MESA director at Cal State LA.

MESA is an acronym for Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement, a program designed to enhance the academic performance of underrepresented students in those fields through hands-on activities and mentorship. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

"A lot of our schools don't have funding to go on (scientific) field trips," said Tellez Andrade. "MESA STEM Day provides students an opportunity they wouldn't have otherwise."

The hands-on activities are key to peaking the students' interest.

In addition to the bounding robots and construction-paper rockets, other activities included building and experimenting with maneuverable robots and rockets constructed from two-liter bottles. Students also participated in activities using the Arduino software program and LEGO®, and attended workshops focusing on electric vehicles, 3D printing, and coastal waters.

Middle school sixth-grade classmates Daisy, Angeli, and Emely filled their schedules with as many activities as possible. Emely said she learned that speed was not the main factor in how far she was able to launch her rocket.

Flora, a high school junior, was thankful for the opportunity to meet and ask questions of the working professionals who volunteered for the event.

"The coolest thing was being able to talk to engineers and learn about what they do," said Flora, who plans to major in either chemical engineering or materials engineering. "I'm trying to explore what's interesting to me, and what I want to do in the future. I like to do hands-on things. Being able to see what people do in their jobs has really been helpful."

The students were joined for the event by 29 industry professionals, 42 MESA advisors, 35 Cal State LA staff, and 120 student volunteers, plus parents.

Many of the volunteers were Cal State LA graduates who were eager to pay it forward.

"An engineering degree changes lives," said Maida Lopez, who earned her B.S. in electrical engineering in 2003. "It gives you an opportunity to expand your knowledge and actually change how the world operates.

"I'm excited because I believe we have our future leaders here. They can become astronauts, or scientists who discover the next big thing."

Cal State LA student volunteer Dali Ramon spends a lot of time at the Makerspace facilities where engineering students design and build their projects.

"When you work in a place like the Makerspace, you tend to just help others," said the senior mechanical engineering major. "The big thing about today is helping others grow. It's a rite of passage to be here on MESA STEM Day."

Tellez Andrade says the participation of more than 1,000 people (students, volunteers, parents) in the past two years has marked a return to pre-COVID 19 attendance numbers. Participation dropped by more than half at the peak of the pandemic, starting in 2020.

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California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 24,000 students and has more than 250,000 distinguished alumni.