Student Information

Student Eligibility

Certain companies may have specific and/or additional eligibility requirements.  Undergraduate and K-12 level students are recruited to participate include the San Diego MESA Alliance campuses of:

• University:  San Diego State University.
• Community colleges:  Grossmont, Imperial Valley, Mesa, Miracosta, Miramar, San Diego City, and Southwestern.
• and various middle and high schools in the San Diego and Imperial Valley counties.  

Preparation Meeting

Students will be required to attend preparation meeting prior to STEM Shadow Day. Topics include professional etiquette, required media releases, other documentation, and event expectations.  Method of delivery (in-person vs. virtual) will differ depending on the campus you are from.

Registration

Registration will open for students once industry participants have been confirmed. Before registering, please:

1. Ensure you have your entire Thursday, November 20, 2025 date cleared to accommodate travel, traffic, check-in, the event itself, and post travel. This means any commitments such as work, class, etc.
2. Review the participating companies to get an idea of who they are and what they do, so that you can rank them accordingly within your registration.  Fully completed registrations will then be reviewed for matching by the STEM Shadow Day Coordinator.
3. Be aware some companies may request government issued identification.  Ensure you have these documents by the time student registration closes.
4. Matching priority is given to current active MESA program students.

Matching

Students are matched by the STEM Shadow Coordinator based on a variety of factors:

• Meeting eligibility requirements of MESA program campus
• Meeting eligibility requirements of company student has ranked interest in
• Number of spots available from MESA program campus (and potential carpool assignments)
• Number of spots available from company
• Membership status and participation level in MESA program (priority is given to current active MESA program students).
• Fully completed registrations will then be reviewed to match with participation companies based on major/interests, meeting company eligibility requirements, and potential carpool assignments

Transportation

• High schoolers transportation will be organized by their teacher/MESA program advisor/staff. 
• College level students will be responsible for their own travel to and from their designated matched company.  Carpooling and ride-share services are highly encouraged as some company sites may have limited parking spots.

Student Documents

1. STEM Shadow Day Student Recruitment Flyer 2024:  (.PDF) (.PNG)
2. Media release forms will be e-mailed and e-signed through Adobe EchoSign
3. Campus liability waiver forms will be distributed by each campus MESA program staff and may differ by each campus

2025 STEM Shadow Day Timeline

• Late July - Friday September 5, 2025:  Industry registration.
• Monday September 15 - Friday October 3:  Student registration.
• Wednesday October 8:  Students receive e-mail confirmation if registration accepted or rejected (due to ineligibility, etc.).
• Wednesday October 15 - Friday October 17:  Students are matched to companies; with requests for identification and other documentation.
• Tuesday October 21 - Friday October 24:  Matched students are sent to industry.
• Monday November 3 - Friday November 7:  Student preparation meetings:
  • Grossmont College:
    • Monday, November 3, 2:00-3:00 pm, (method TBD).
    • Thursday, November 6, 2:30-3:30 pm, (method TBD).
  • Imperial Valley College:
  • Mesa College:
  • MiraCosta College:
  • Miramar College:
  • San Diego City College:
  • San Diego State University:
    • Wednesday, November 5, 10:00-10:50 am, Zoom.
    • Wednesday, November 5, 2:00-2:50 pm, in-person HH 146.
    • Friday, November 7, 10:00-10:50 am, Zoom.
    • Friday, November 7, 12:00-2:50 pm, Zoom.
    • Friday, November 7, 2:00-2:50 pm, Zoom.
  • Southwestern College (SWC):
  • High school students:  Please contact your MESA teacher/advisor/staff.
• Tuesday November 11:  Veteran's Day holiday.
• Thursday November 20:  STEM Shadow Day!
• Thursday November 27:  Thanksgiving holiday.

Student Registration Options

Register to partcipate in 2025 STEM Shadow Day!  Registration will open in late September and will close on Friday October 3, 2025.  Students, select the online registration Google Form link below based on your school campus.