It is with great pride that we offer the FY 2009 Colorado MESA annual report. We have come so far since the inception of MESA in 1980, and our goals remain unchanged - to expand student‘s lives and opportunities focused on promoting academic excellence in math, engineering and science. Ultimately we are turning dreams into reality for underrepresented, economically disadvantaged, and at-risk students throughout Colorado to help them successfully graduate high school, be prepared for college, and to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Last year we positively impacted 3,650 students located throughout Colorado.

Today businesses are faced with many new, complex engineering and technical challenges. The bottom line is that Colorado‘s 21st Century economy will be based on a highly educated knowledge-based workforce to meet the demand of the business community to successfully thrive. Our economy and business success will be based on the dedication and strength of its greatest asset – human capital.

Throughout the United States including Colorado we are not graduating enough engineers. According to Richard Karlgaard, publisher of Forbes Magazine, China is graduating 600,000 engineers annually, compared to only 150,000 in the United States. As the baby-boomers are retiring we will be experiencing a major exodus of employees leaving the high-tech business community over the next decade.   Read more below... 2009 Colorado MESA Annual Report