On February 5, 2025, San Diego Mesa College commemorated the birthday of civil rights activist Rosa Parks with its annual celebration and libation ceremony. The event served as the college’s official kickoff for Black History Month, contributing to this year’s theme of Transit Justice. A large gathering of students, faculty, and community members came together to honor Parks’ quiet act of defiance—one that changed the course of history.

San Diego, California – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has allocated $15 million to support Hispanic-serving institutions in bolstering higher education in the field of agriculture. $400,000 will be awarded to the San Diego Mesa College SEEDS Scholars: Awareness, Preparation, and Training Program. NIFA aims to equip undergraduate students with the necessary tools to pursue rewarding careers in food and agriculture across various sectors.

Welcome to San Diego Mesa College’s 2024 fall semester. There is nothing worse than having a full day of classes and realizing you forgot to pack a snack. Fortunately, Mesa College has you covered with plenty of options for quick bites or full meals during your breaks.

San Diego Mesa College proudly introduces a new mural painted by alumnus Andrew Alcasid on the lower-level entrance of the Fine Arts building. As a graduate of the Museum Studies Program, Andrew brought his artistic vision full circle to the community that taught him the skills needed to excel as a working artist.

Welcome to San Diego Mesa College (or maybe it’s welcome back!) and the fall 2024 semester. The college has been busy adding new places and spaces for you to enjoy as you roam the campus this year. From a quiet garden for meditative moments to a resource center specifically created for those amazing parent-students among us, Mesa College aims to provide spaces for everyone who visits our campus to feel seen and welcome. Whether you’re here for one class or a full day of classes, or an employee looking to take a quick break, we invite you into our new spaces, and we hope that you’re able to explore these places with consideration of how you’ll make your mark at Mesa College or wherever you journey next.

Second-year student Zora Williams is using her voice to bring more mental health and nutrition programming to San Diego Mesa College. Williams was elected president of the college’s Associated Students (AS) for the 2024-2025 academic year and serves as the college’s student representative on the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees.

Sometimes, you hear a story that makes you want to know more. Kevin Gonzalez has such a story. The last time this story was updated, San Diego Mesa College student Kevin Gonzalez was a 15 year-old heading off to Massachusetts to complete his high school education. In the ensuing years, he has travelled to the other side of the world, built houses, but remained in close contact with his Mesa College professors and connections he made while on campus.

Often, biology classes are bound to a lab, but at San Diego Mesa College, students get a chance to see what it’s like out in the field. In 2022, Mesa College received a grant from the National Science Foundation to fund programs that work to engage students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Since then, professors Dean Leavitt and Daniela Bruckman have led annual weekend-long field excursions out into the wilds of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to teach students about desert natural history and help them develop skills in ecological field methods.