I have been with MESCIT going on 3 years now, first as a mentor and now as a graduate assistant. As a first-generation, Indigenous scientist-in-the-making, the work that MESCIT does to help amplify and foster the academic talents of Indigenous youth across the Tucson area is near and dear to my heart.

As a mentor, I was excited to pass the mathematical torch to the next generation of scholars in a community where such expertise can be scarce. The best part of my job as mentor was seeing my students go from indifference (or even aversion) of mathematics to becoming engaged and excited by the material we went over. These youth often come from backgrounds that leave them behind in many regards and as someone from the same/similar community and background I felt that connected helped to fuel their curiosity and creativity.