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, Miracosta, San Diego City, San Diego Mesa, San Diego Miramar, 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.
Application
Application will open for students once industry participants have been confirmed. Before registering, please:
- Ensure you have your entire Thursday, November 19, 2026 date cleared to accommodate travel, traffic, check-in, the event itself, and post travel. This means any commitments such as work, class, etc.
- 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 application. Fully completed applications will then be reviewed for matching by the STEM Shadow Day Coordinator.
- Be aware some companies may request government issued identification. Ensure you have these documents by the time student application closes.
- 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 applications 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
- Media release forms will be e-mailed and e-signed through Adobe EchoSign
- Campus liability waiver forms will be distributed by each campus MESA program staff and may differ by each campus
2026 STEM Shadow Day Timeline
- Monday, July 27 - Thursday, September 3: Industry application period.
- Monday, September 14 - Thursday, October 1: Student application period.
- Monday, October 5: Students receive e-mail confirmation if application accepted or rejected (due to ineligibility, etc.).
- Tuesday, October 20 - Friday, October 23: Students are matched to companies; with requests for identification and other documentation.
- Monday, October 26 - Tuesday, October 27: Matched students are sent to industry.
- Monday, November 2 - Friday, November 6: MESA staff host preparationg meetings for students:
- Grossmont College
- Imperial Valley College:
- MiraCosta College:
- San Diego City College:
- San Diego Mesa College:
- San Diego Miramar College:
- San Diego State University:
- Monday, November 2, 1:00-1:50 pm, Zoom.
- Tuesday, November 3, 12:00-12:50 pm, Zoom.
- Wednesday, November 4, 10:00-10:50 am, Zoom.
- Wednesday, November 4, 2:00-2:50 pm, in-person SDSU Hepner Hall (HH) 146.
- Wednesday, November 4, 3:00-3:50 pm, in-person SDSU Hepner Hall (HH) 146.
- Friday, November 6, 10:00-10:50 am, Zoom.
- Southwestern College (SWC):
- High school students: Please contact your MESA teacher/advisor/staff.
- Wednesday, November 11: Veteran's Day holiday.
- Thursday, November 19: STEM Shadow Day!
- Thursday, November 26: Thanksgiving holiday.
Student Application Options
Apply to partcipate in 2026 STEM Shadow Day! Application will open on Monday, September 14 and will close on Thursday, October 1, 2026. Students, select the online application Google Form link below based on your school campus.