November 20, 2025, A group of talented Santa Rosa Junior College MESA students connected with industry professionals in San Francisco during an invite-only STEM conference this fall. MESA’s annual Student Leadership Conference brought together hand-picked engineering and computer science students with industry leaders to cultivate the next generation of STEM innovators.
Held at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis, this year’s conference challenged students to design a product or service within roughly 30 hours to address one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) program guides diverse students from underrepresented backgrounds into STEM education and professional pathways.
SRJC students Diego Salanueva, Maximo Martin, and Victoria Canela were among those selected from across the state. “Our students proudly represented SRJC at the event. All three are outstanding MESA participants,” said Jessica Zambrano, SRJC MESA Leader. “The selection process for this conference was highly competitive, and we are proud to share that our SRJC MESA students distinguished themselves through their professionalism, kindness, and intellectual curiosity. Throughout the weekend, students connected with STEM peers and industry professionals, developed new skills, and joined in celebrating MESA’s 55th anniversary.”
Students had the unique opportunity to interact one-on-one and in small groups with company executives, engineers, and recruiters. Many leave the conference with connections that lead to internships and full-time employment. Students also participated in leadership and communication workshops, a company expo, and a collaborative team challenge. According to Zambrano, “Participants engaged in hands-on projects that strengthened both their technical abilities and their teamwork and professional development skills.”
"MESA's Student Leadership Conference provides an incredible opportunity for our community college and university students to gain invaluable career development skills to kick-start their STEM careers,” said MESA Executive Director Thomas Ahn. “Our students represent the skills, passion and potential that California desperately needs to enrich our workforce and strengthen our communities."
This year’s conference sponsors included Carollo Engineering, Keysight Technologies, Edison International, PG&E, Qualcomm, and Uber. Professionals from these companies and others volunteered their time to present workshops, host career fair tables, and advise students during the team challenge.
MESA students attended from 46 community colleges, CSUs, UCs, and private universities across California.
For more information, please visit the SRJC MESA website
