Message from the Director Dear MESA Friends and Colleagues, This past year has called us to be creative and more thoughtful as we build community during the COVID-19 pandemic. With so many unknowns, we were certain that MESA’s engagement on campus was more important than ever, under the backdrop of the pandemicrelated protests in response to rising inequality across the country. MESA persevered and re-imagined community by continuing to foster a sense of belonging among historically excluded students on campus through virtual offerings. This is the third and final year we measured a sense of belonging among students and community members who participated in MESA events and programs. Of those surveyed, 74.3% agreed that the MESA events/programs they participated in helped foster their sense of belonging and community on campus. 83.6% agreed that these events/programs increased their understanding about the community, and 83.3% agreed that it helped broaden their view about culture and identities from the lens of race and ethnicity. 87.4% and 83.6% also agreed that the events/programs reinforced the importance of DEI work to them and the respective roles MESA plays in our community. This fall we look forward to continuing to meet our second-year students in person and welcoming our first-year students. We plan
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