Pierce Students Lead the Way at UCLA Samueli Engineering Transfer Program

Pierce Students Lead the Way at UCLA Samueli Engineering Transfer Program

This summer, eleven Pierce College Brahmas took part in UCLA Samueli Engineering’s Introduction to Engineering Design for Transfer Students. Typically reserved for incoming UCLA transfers, this competitive program made special accommodations for Pierce students, reserving six exclusive spots as a testament to the growing partnership between the two institutions. The Pierce College representation consisted of six current MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) students and five alumni.

The four-week program immersed students in “Basic Training” workshops, where they explored coding, circuits, microcontrollers, CAD, and fabrication. It all culminated in HAcK, a high-energy, 36-hour team competition challenging participants to design and build “spy tech” devices to solve real-world engineering problems.

Pierce College students made up an impressive 16% of the entire cohort, the largest representation from any community college. Beyond the prestige, these students earned UCLA credit and gained early exposure to the rigorous, collaborative environment of university-level engineering.

The MESA Program supports students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by providing academic enrichment, transfer guidance, and professional development. Designed especially for students who are historically underrepresented in STEM, MESA helps participants build a strong academic foundation and prepares them for successful transfer to four-year universities.