September 05, 2023

At Mizzou Engineering, students engage in leadership practice and community building to gain real-world experience and become well-rounded professionals. Mizzou Engineering Student Council (MESC) works year-round to create these opportunities for engineers and to make students’ voices heard.

“I joined MESC because I was looking for a way to meet other engineering disciplines within the college,” said Elly Smith, chemical engineering student and President of MESC. “I also saw it as a way to continue growing my leadership skills through its numerous leadership positions.”

Every year, members of MESC plan and volunteer at college events such as the New Student BBQ, the Career Fair and High School Day. These events help the College grow, increasing connections between students, industry employers and the community.

“As an organization, MESC focuses a lot on service opportunities, both within an engineering context with events like High School Day, and for the community in general, like with our fundraiser Chili Cookoff,” said CJ Pelletier, VP of Communications for MESC. “Because of this, all of our members are super positive, and it’s a great place to meet people in any major in engineering.”

MESC also collaborates with other organizations within the College to host events for students. One of these events last year was the Lunar New Year Celebration, co-hosted with the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE), which Jordyn Lodes, VP Internal for MESC, says has been her favorite MESC experience so far.

“It was fun to partner with another organization in the College of Engineering and to learn more about a culture and holiday that I didn’t know much about,” Lodes said. “At this event, I learned how to make dumplings, tried canned boba tea and popular Chinese candy, opened a lucky red envelope, and observed the traditions of the Lunar New Year.”

Mizzou Engineering Student Council also hosts the Dean’s Forum, at which students gather to discuss their experiences and ask questions directly to College leadership.

“As the Dean’s Board Delegate, I facilitate communication between the students within the College of Engineering and the faculty council, propose solutions to issues that might be impacting the student body and support everyone within the College by answering questions and discussing concerns,” said Joella Melegrito, a civil engineering student. “This position is really important as it’s a way for students and faculty to feel heard within the College and to make a difference for the better.”

Smith said that she came to Mizzou because when visiting the College, she saw the engineering students as leaders¬. Now, as MESC President, she is one.

“As a prospective student, I loved having the chance to sit down with professors and students who I quickly saw as role models,” she said. “The students I interacted with were leaders, both within and outside of the classroom. It was a sense of seeing ‘what I want to be when I grow up,’ all throughout the College.”

Eli Bollinger, VP of Finance for MESC, also shared how the organization has helped him become a leader.

“Being a part of MESC has allowed me to see the impact other students are having within the college, and the potential I have to also leave an impact,” he said.

Mizzou Engineering Student Council has numerous leadership positions students can apply for during the spring semester. The group is organized into three categories, the executive board, directors and general body members, with the first two categories determined by elections. Members within the general body are organized in two aspects, their committee and their “family.”

“Students on a committee report to one of our nine directors, which lead teams for diversity, service, large events, professional development and more,” Smith said. “Their ‘family’ is a grouping made within the org to help members find a core group of people within such a large organization.”

Smith says that MESC is a great way for students to “find their people,” but also recommends students join any organization that sounds interesting.

“I would encourage all students to join an organization within the College of Engineering to easily find a group that makes Mizzou feel like home,” she said.

For Marissa Moore, VP External, Mizzou Engineering Student Council has become not only that, but one of her favorite parts of her whole college experience.

“I love getting to know other engineers outside of my major and work toward the goals we care about together,” she said. “MESC has given me the opportunity to network with companies, Mizzou students and even other Engineering Student Councils in the nation. Another way that I’ve benefited from MESC is getting to apply leadership and project management skills that I don’t get to use in my classes.”

Applications to join MESC close for the fall on September 7, 2023, but will open again at the beginning of the Spring semester.

“My favorite part of being in MESC is seeing the impacts our organization has on the College of Engineering,” Smith said. “It is truly one of the most fulfilling aspects of being in the organization. From having student voices be heard at the Dean’s Forum to promoting our fantastic engineering orgs at the New Student BBQ, MESC has shown me what an impact just one group of aspiring engineers can have on the college.”

Join a community of engaged engineering students, connect with Mizzou Engineering Student Council today on MU Engage.