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Message from Director
Message from the Director
Dear MESA Friends and Colleagues,
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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
to listen deeply to the stories from our staff and students that are yet to be heard of, learned from, and even written. We carry the many insights that have emerged already that tell us not only about our tremendous resolve, but also new possibilities and opportunities, including virtual engagement, which will forever change how we work.
I’m incredibly proud of our team and our students, and we look forward to welcoming on campus engagement in AY 2021-2022. We have learned being with is an art, and affirmed that MESA’s role in facilitating communities to rise together while navigating the difficulty of racial justice is both an honor and responsibility. We are reminded by the words of Pearl S. Buck, that “to serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy and a whole heart and a free mind.”
In Solidarity and Collaboration,
Nadia Bazzy, EdD Director
