Dennis Masias

“When I was younger, I never thought education was for me. As a high school freshman, I hated school, but realized I needed to finish high school. In the summer of 2011, my mom drove me to Compton College to enroll. She said, ‘Get out of the car and go figure this shit out!’” said Dennis Masias, a 2014 graduate of Compton College who now works at the very same college in the MESA/STEM Center inspiring students to complete their educational goals. 

Masias is a first-generation college graduate who was raised by a single mother and turned to his grandfather and uncle for guidance with the challenges in life. Although he is an introvert, he has a personality that people gravitate toward and is open to opportunities that might come his way, so he used these qualities to his advantage by building a network of those who could help him during his uncharted journey into higher education. He transferred to California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts with an emphasis in graphic design in June 2018.

“I never truly found a place where I felt a sense of belonging until I stumbled upon Compton College,” says Masias. “It’s a place I got to go and could be myself. Faculty and staff saw potential in me that I didn’t see. I believe Compton College is a great starting point for any student. I personally have built so much on that foundation since first setting foot on campus.”

His ties to Compton College run deep and he has stayed connected as a student, a student worker, a tutor, a graduate, a volunteer, and finally as an employee giving back to students. Masias serves as a program specialist for the MESA Program in the MESA/STEM Center at Compton College, a position he was hired for in July 2023. The state-funded Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program supports underserved and underrepresented students pursuing math and science degrees. It offers academic and support services to economically and educationally disadvantaged students majoring in calculus-based STEM fields, helping them transfer to four-year institutions to complete their bachelor's degrees.

Masias responsibilities include recruiting students for the MESA program who are enrolled in STEM-based courses and inviting them to utilize the MESA/STEM Center resources; creating workshops in collaboration with the MESA Program Manager Lorena Fonseca; using his graphic design skills to create flyers to promote the Center’s activities; and visiting in-district high schools and promoting Explore STEM! — a high school summer enrichment activity designed to introduce STEM fields to students.

Prior to working at Compton College, Masias also worked at CSUF and California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) through opportunities that came from his participation in academic activities such as the Summer Bridge Program, Male Success Initiative at CSUF, and Male Success Alliance at CSUDH. While attending CSUF, he was a student worker/graphic design lead for the Male Success Initiative. He also served for two consecutive summers as a residential advisor for CSUF’s Summer Bridge Program mentoring students from the university’s Educational Opportunity Program.  After graduating from CSUF, he connected with the CSUDH Male Success Alliance and secured a job as the graduate coordinator for its Success Expanded through Exposure and Development (SEED) program.

Masias is especially passionate about working with students of color. “When I first transferred to CSUF, it was difficult; I had imposter syndrome,” he said. “There were many times I wanted to quit. I didn’t see many students like me, especially in my art classes. I found my community when I came across the Latinx Resource Center on campus and became involved with the Male Success Initiative, where I also found my mentor who was the director for the program. He really helped me through my struggles in my last year at CSUF. My advice to students of color who may struggle initially at a four-year university is to find your communities and resources on campus; they help tremendously.”

Masias says he really enjoyed working for CSUDH’s Male Success Alliance. “I worked with middle and high school students helping them develop life skills and preparing them for their journeys after high school, so they are better equipped to navigate college and their career,” he said. “This is when I realized that my culmination of experience to this point was calling me to student services work. It was a natural and comfortable progression for me.”

Masias notes that a student’s journey through higher education and career is not usually a straight line; there can be twists and turns, as well as challenges or roadblocks along the way. “Remember, before we are a success story, we all have a story. We have already gone through so much life and have overcome even more. We all have the potential to be successful and achieve our dreams, we just have to put in the work.”

Masias has achieved his dream of working at Compton College after a couple unsuccessful attempts. The faculty and staff at Compton College gave him so much support when he was first a student here and now, he is doing the same for other students. 

His words of encouragement for current and future students: “If no one has told you up to this point that they believe in you, I want to let you know that I believe in you and that I know you will be successful.”