The 10th Annual San Diego MESA Alliance Leadership Summit took place at the Indian Hills Camp in Jamul on the weekend of February 11 – February 13, 2011.

49 MESA/MESA Engineering Program (MEP)/Maximizing Science Potential (MSP) students from San Diego City College, San Diego State University, Southwestern College, Crawford High, Morse High, Lincoln High, Mark Twain High, San Pasqual High, Southwest High, and Calexico High Schools participated in various competitions that promoted the use of their leadership skills and various strengths attributes.

A Strengths Quest seminar was presented by Mr. Rafael Alvarez consisting of Reviewing Strengths (resulting from an online Strengths Quest survey via the Gallup Organization), a Scavenger Hunt, Common Strengths lecture, and a homework assignment on visual expression. Students broke into teams to complete a LEGO challenge.

LEGO Challenge winners:

3rd place – Team #3

1. Priscilla Dominguez ,Imperial Valley
2. Miriam Ibarra ,Imperial Valley
3. Brandon Pollack ,San Diego State University
4. Jose Luis Espinosa ,San Diego State University
5. Stan West ,Southwestern

2nd place – Team #2

1. Samuel Drew ,Lincoln High
2. Francisco Candido ,San Diego State University
3. Fernando Villasenor ,San Diego State University
4. Guillermo Langston ,Imperial Valley
5. Vicente Coleman ,Mark Twain High
6. Raul Perales ,Mark Twain High

1st place – Team #1

1. Daniela Rodriguez ,Imperial Valley
2. Stephanie Godoy ,Imperial Valley
3. Javier Soria ,San Diego State University
4. Eden Nguyen ,Mark Twain High
5. David Boydston ,Southwestern

Students also got a chance to mingle around a bonfire to conclude the first night.

Mr. Rafael Alvarez continued the Strengths Quest seminar with lectures on how to connect strengths to future planning and life/career goals, as well as a workshop on creating a cover/interest letter(s). SDSU MEP alumna and current industry member from Infrastructure Engineering Corporation, Ms. Dolores Ventura, led a seminar on Self-Leadership to continue the second day of activities.

Students voluntary rode on the Zip Line activity offered by the camp staff.  They also completed team challenges consisting of building toothpick bridges and pitting them in several competitions based on aesthetics and weight capacity, as well as a PowerPoint presentation culminating in lessons learned from the weekend.

Toothpick Bridge Design Winners:

3rd place – Team #8

1. Stephanie Godoy, Imperial Valley
2. Ninosthka Valdez, Southwestern
3. Ysidro Alfaro, San Diego City College
4. Javier Soria, San Diego State University
5. Joe Anousaya, Lincoln High

2nd place – Team #4

1. Emily Escalante, San Diego State University
2. Randall Ahmann, San Diego City College
3. Stan West, Southwestern
4. Priscilla Dominguez, Imperial Valley
5. Vicente Coleman, Mark Twain High

1st place – Team #1

1. Eden Nguyen, Mark Twain High
2. Shaina Nocum, Morse High
3. Alicia Rivero, Southwestern
4. Fernando Villasenor, San Diego State University
5. Alondra Galvan, San Diego City College

Toothpick Bridge Construction Winners:

3rd place with 151 washers – Team #1

1. Eden Nguyen, Mark Twain High
2. Shaina Nocum, Morse High
3. Alicia Rivero, Southwestern
4. Fernando Villasenor, San Diego State University
5. Alondra Galvan, San Diego City College

2nd place with 177 washers – Team #9

1. Eliel Chavarin, San Diego City College
2. Guillermo Langston, Imperial Valley
3. Francisco Candido, San Diego State University
4. Linnea Briggs, San Pasqual High
5. Ruth Sosa, Southwestern

1st place with 262 washers – Team #4

1. Emily Escalante, San Diego State University
2. Randall Ahmann, San Diego City College
3. Stan West, Southwestern
4. Priscilla Dominguez, Imperial Valley
5. Vicente Coleman, Mark Twain High

Toothpick Bridge Overall Winners:

3rd place  – Team #9

1. Eliel Chavarin, San Diego City College
2. Guillermo Langston, Imperial Valley
3. Francisco Candido, San Diego State University
4. Linnea Briggs, San Pasqual High
5. Ruth Sosa, Southwestern

2nd place – Team #1

1. Eden Nguyen, Mark Twain High
2. Shaina Nocum, Morse High
3. Alicia Rivero, Southwestern
4. Fernando Villasenor, San Diego State University
5. Alondra Galvan, San Diego City College

1st place – Team #4

1. Emily Escalante, San Diego State University
2. Randall Ahmann, San Diego City College
3. Stan West, Southwestern
4. Priscilla Dominguez, Imperial Valley
5. Vicente Coleman, Mark Twain High

The night again concluded with the roasting of marshmallows around a bonfire.

The last day was reserved for the conclusion of the team challenge which  consisted of conducting a PowerPoint presentation on specific topics, as the annual Leadership Summit came to an end.

PowerPoint Presentation Winners:

3rd place – Team #8

1. Alejandra Martinez, San Diego City College
2. Ninosthka Valdez, Southwestern
3. Javier Soria, San Diego State University
4. Patricia Demorest, San Pasqual High
5. Edgar Ramirez, Imperial Valley

2nd place – Team #6

1. Randall Ahmann, San Diego City College
2. Frank Sanchez, Southwestern
3. Silvia Hernandez, San Diego State University
4. Cesar Villa, Morse High
5. Miriam Ibarra, Imperial Valley

1st place – Team #5

1. Dana Long, San Diego City College
2. Alicia Rivero, Southwestern
3. Elizabeth Fortin, San Diego State University
4. Shaina Nocum, Morse High
5. Stephanie Godoy, Imperial Valley

A very special thanks goes to Ms. Dolores Ventura for her attendance and continued support of the MESA program.

Another very special thanks goes to PBS&J for allowing the Leadership Summit to take place with its grant award to SDSU MEP. Without this grant award, the 2011 Leadership Summit would not have taken place.

Videos (check out more videos at the San Diego MESA Alliance YouTube channel – Leadership Summit playlist):

Photo Gallery: