UKIAH, Calif. – On Sunday, March 10, community members filled the beautiful Saturday Afternoon Club to celebrate the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  

Amongst the honorees was Mendocino College MESA/Learning Center Director Margaret Sanchez.

Sanchez has been the director of MESA for the past 12 years.

Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) is an award-winning academic enrichment program that provides educationally disadvantaged students with the tools to earn bachelor’s degrees in math-based fields.  

With tutoring and mentoring, extra study sessions, transfer counseling and study centers, MESA provides an environment that allows students to succeed in math and science and navigate the transfer system more easily.

During her acceptance speech, Sanchez thanked the Mendocino County Women’s Coalition, American Association of University Women, event benefactors and sponsors for their tireless work in promoting progress and political action and reform for women and young girls.

Sanchez decided to share the spotlight and stage by thanking and praising the following individuals: Kathryn McInnis, for all of her work in developing and sustaining the MESA Schools programs which serves students at Ukiah and Fort Bragg High Schools and Fort Bragg and Pomolita Middle Schools; Susana Ramirez, a former MESA student and graduate of Mendocino College and UC Davis who is working as a full time math teacher at Willits High School and is in the process of starting a MESA program at Willits High; Dafne Valdez, a current MESA student at Mendocino College and Eisenhower fellow who plans to transfer to UC Berkeley to earn a degree in chemical engineering.

Sanchez highlighted all of the talented and dedicated women who have gone through the college’s programs and are now teaching mathematics within our communities: Adelaida Torres and Sezgin Ramirez, who are both math teachers at Ukiah High School and Angela Dauer, a math instructor for Mendocino College who graduated from UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley.  

Within the audience she paid tribute to Mendocino College Math instructors Deborah White and Leslie Banta.  

Banta was involved in the MESA program while a student at Mendocino College, and White who has spent countless volunteer hours mentoring students.  

According to Sanchez, “Many of our MESA students have transferred from Mendocino College to a four-year university and have completed graduate or professional school program. Some of our former students are now working as doctors, engineers, research geneticists, botanists, foresters and enologists.  I am grateful that our community has supported underrepresented students in Math and Science and, in particular, I am grateful to those students who have chosen to return to our communities and serve math and science learners.”   

For more information about the MESA program, contact Sanchez at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-468-3023.