MSJC Offers Middle and High School Students a Look at Engineering and Surveying Careers

More than 100 students from local middle and high schools participated in the Engineering/Surveying Day at Mt. San Jacinto College on Dec. 4.

The annual event gives students the opportunity of exploring careers in engineering and land surveying.

Thompson Middle School students Travis Claypool & Ryley Nicola (Murrieta) work with

Riverside County Flood Control and Water Control District, Rudy Gil (right).

The following business partners and four-year universities gave presentations at the event:

Riverside County Transportation Department
Spectra Precision
Cal Poly Pomona
California Baptist University

Riverside County Flood Control and Water Control District's Zully Smith spoke about women in engineering. Providing industry equipment for hands-on experience were the Water Control District and Lewis & Lewis Enterprises, a local firm that provides sales and service of land surveying equipment.

“Thanks to all of our dedicated business partners, many of the students were inspired and motivated to further explore engineering and surveying as career options,” said Lori Benson, MSJC’s Project Coordinator in Career Technical Education.

Kristina Campuzano & Michael Patton, Murrieta Valley High School students, check out

equipment provided by Lewis & Lewis Enterprises.

A total of 123 students from the following schools participated: Murrieta Mesa, Murrieta Valley, San Jacinto and Temecula’s Great Oak high schools and Murrieta’s Thompson and Shivela middle schools. Students from MSJC also participated to network with industry professionals and gather college transfer information.

The SB70 Career Technical Education Community Collaborative grant helped pay for the students’ transportation and lunch. The purpose of the grant is to improve career pathways from middle school through college, leading to a better prepared workforce and meeting local workforce demands.