CLASS NOTES : CSUN Program Provides Mentors to Encourage Math, Science Studies

Gillian Massey believes she has the greatest job in the world. She gets to hang out with rocket scientists and college students. Best of all, she helps steer educationally disadvantaged young people into science and math programs.

The North Hills resident is the director of Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement--or MESA--a program at Cal State Northridge that provides mentors to encourage middle and high school students from underrepresented groups to pursue careers in math, science and engineering. Established in 1976, the state-funded program gives students a chance to take part in special projects and field trips.

Massey sends CSUN mentors to such campuses as Maclay Middle School in Pacoima and Polytechnic High School in Sun Valley, where they tutor students in math and science and help them build Popsicle-stick bridges, mousetrap cars and towers made of straws.

“The benefit of the program is that students start thinking, ‘I can do what they do; he went to my school and is now an engineer,’ ” Massey said. “They can identify with becoming a scientist, and realize that it’s not farfetched.”

In addition to providing hands-on help with engineering projects, MESA sends speakers from Valley industries--such as Rocketdyne and Litton Industries--to the schools to talk about career possibilities.

The middle and high school students--there are 30 per grade level at each of the seven Valley schools MESA serves--also visit sites, such as Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, where they take tours and shadow scientists to learn firsthand what their work entails.

“Students from my neighborhood often think that we have the least likely chance to get into math and science fields,” said Elaine Lopez, a 26-year-old industrial engineer who participated in the MESA mentor program at San Fernando High School and CSUN. “I’m still a mentor because I want to let the kids know that I went to their schools, then to college and am now in a science career. I want to give them the incentive to pursue college.”

MESA’s four-week NASA Summer Explorers program investigated aeronautics through rocket-building, robotics and computer classes, among other activities. The participants came from San Fernando and Olive Vista middle schools.

CSUN student Edward Texon, a volunteer with the summer program, said that in addition to studying science fundamentals, the students learned how to work with each other, even though their schools are sometimes rivals.

“They overcame their differences, jumped into their groups and exploded with ideas on very difficult projects,” Texon said. “They learned to work as a team.”

Patrick Rios, an Olive Vista science teacher, echoed Texon’s enthusiasm for the program. “The students are doing something that’s productive; they’re being successful. They learn that science is not as intimidating as it seems.”

MESA will begin a new Academic Excellence Workshop this year, offering middle and high school students an alternative peer group designed to help them achieve in school without social stigma, Massey said.

“Kids in this program often say, ‘I didn’t know science was so much fun; maybe I can be an astronaut,’ ” Massey said. “They get a sense that engineering and science are reachable.”

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