Your journey starts here!

“The most important [part] for me is that I’ve gotten to do this research. Thanks to my hard work in the orchard and my studies and my college professors, I’ve arrived at this moment.”

Apolinar Ramos , Agriculture Student

“I could not be more grateful. I have such a great community of people around me at the college who are supporting, mentoring, and helping me do this work. I loved it so much here [at WVC] that I had to stay!”  

Ava Burk , WVC Alum and BEACON Fellow

“WVC MESA helped me have a community, and [MESA Program Director] Rosana Linarez has been a huge help. She wants us to dream big and push ourselves. As MESA students, we relate to each other since we all know what we want to do in STEM, and we help each other get there.” 

Hailey Hopkins , STEM Student

“You know how some classes can feel like a burden? Well, in my biology classes, I want to get a good grade because I actually enjoy the subject and want to keep going."

Ethan Kamphaus , Running Start Student

“I’ve always been hands on. Growing up, I had my own kit of electrical parts that I would use to make the little motors spin and jump into the air. I always wanted to make something, but I just didn’t have the skills. When I started this program at WVC, it was like it just clicked and I could learn how to build anything I wanted to.” 

Logan Swank , Industrial Technology Student