For Immediate Release
April 13, 2011

Seven Cañada College Students Receive $10,500 MESA Scholarships

Cañada had the highest number of recipients in the state.

Seven Cañada College students set to transfer to universities in the fall have received three-year, $10,500 National Science Foundation – Scholarship for Science, Engineering, Technology & Mathematics Grants from the Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) Program. The scholarship is paid out over multiple years as the student finishes a bachelor’s degree at a four-year university.

Cañada had more scholarship recipients than any other community college in the state.

“This is absolutely fantastic,” said Cathy Lipe, coordinator for Cañada’s MESA program. “Traditionally, we have a single student that will receive the Transfer Scholarship from Statewide MESA. To have seven students receive it in the same year is amazing.”

Students receiving the scholarship include:

• Jenna Murphy, a mathematics major from Redwood City who will transfer to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
• Moises Quiroz, a mechanical engineering major from East Palo Alto who will transfer to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
• Alexander Ramos, an electrical engineering major from Redwood City who is planning to transfer to U.C. Berkeley.
• Joy Franco, a mechanical engineering major from Fremont who will transfer to either San Jose State University or U.C. Berkeley.
• Chris Rodriguez, a mechanical engineering major from Redwood City who will transfer to either San Jose State University or U.C. San Diego.
• Ian Scott, an electrical engineering major from Pacifica who will transfer to San Francisco State University.
• Marjorie Martinez, a mathematics major from Redwood City who will transfer to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

A total of 44 students statewide received the Transfer Scholarship from Statewide MESA. They were chosen from a pool of 160 applicants from 28 community colleges.

Over the past four years, Cañada College has received millions of dollars in grants and has become a regional hub for science and mathematics learning. “Because we serve Silicon Valley, a global center for technological research, it’s imperative that we provide quality educational opportunities for students in math, science and engineering,” said Cañada College President Thomas Mohr.

MESA is an academic preparation program for K-12, community college and university-level students in California. Established in 1970, MESA provides academic support to students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds so they will excel in math and science and ultimately earn four-year degrees in math, engineering or science.

Cañada’s MESA Program has supported students since 1999. Incoming high school students and current Cañada MESA students who are Trigonometry or higher level math classes are eligible for scholarships worth $3,000 to $4,000 per year to support them while they attend Cañada College and prepare to transfer to a four-year university. Cañada MESA students can also earn a free laptop in exchange for community outreach helping people learn to use the Internet, email and other on-line resources.

Cañada College MESA: www.smccd.edu/accounts/canmesa

Statewide MESA: http://mesa.ucop.edu/

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