For Immediate Release
April 12, 2012

Cañada College Wins Math Competition

All five Cañada competitors placed in the competition.

A team of MESA students from Cañada came in first overall in the program's annual statewide Math Challenge.

Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) conducted the 60-minute test that is modeled after the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year College's Student Math League test. Almost 190 MESA students in teams of five or more participated from 21 MESA community college campuses. Cañada's Alex Wu finished first overall. Teammates Soroush Motahari and Aimee Sylvia tied for second. Christina Arenas and Michael Murphy tied for third. That gave Cañada's five member team a clean sweep of the top spots.

The Cañada MESA center will receive a plaque for the achievement. The goal is to expand the contest to more MESA community college centers each year and build a healthy level of competition between campuses to maintain or gain the title.

CPA and business consultant firm, Vasquez & Company LLP, sponsored the test and provided professionals to help with grading.

"The Math Challenge allows students to gain recognition for their problem solving skills and helps alleviate the stress that often comes with test preparation," said Tiffany Reardon, who oversees the MESA Community College Program. "It gives them tips and the confidence to perform at their best in future exams."

MESA is an award-winning academic enrichment program that provides educationally disadvantaged students with the tools to earn bachelor's degrees in math-based fields. With tutoring, mentoring, study sessions, transfer counseling and study centers, MESA provides an environment that allows students to succeed and navigate the transfer system more easily.

MESA has programs in 33 community colleges. One hundred percent of MESA students who go to four-year college as math-based majors.

For more information about MESA visit www.mesa.ucop.edu

For more information about Vasquez & Company visit http://vasquezcpa.com/

 

For more information, contact Robert Hood, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, at hoodr@smccd.edu or 306-3340