Wave Staff Report
COMPTON — Growing up, Dennis Masias didn’t like school.
“When I was younger, I never thought education was for me,” he said. “As a high school freshman, I hated school, but realized I needed to finish high school.
The turning point came in 2011 when his mother dropped him off Compton College and told him to go enroll for classes.
“She said, ‘Get out of the car and go figure this out,’” Masias, a 2014 graduate of Compton College who now works at the college inspiring students to complete their educational goals.
Masias is a first-generation college graduate who was raised by a single mother. He turned to his grandfather and uncle for guidance with life’s challenges. Although he is an introvert, he has a personality that people gravitate toward and is open to opportunities that might come his way.
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 Cal State Fullerton and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts with an emphasis in graphic design in June 2018.
“Compton College is where I finally found a true sense of belonging,” Masias said. “It’s a place where I could truly be myself. Faculty and staff saw potential in me that I didn’t see.
He took advantage of all the resources and student services offered to help him be successful. He found faculty/staff mentors. He helped establish and served as president of the Brothers2Brothers Club on campus amd became a student ambassador so he could give back by helping other students navigate college life and Compton College resources he had benefited from.
“I believe Compton College is a great starting point for any student,” he said. “I have personally 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 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 science, technology, engineering and mathematics 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; 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 Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Dominguez Hills through opportunities that came from his participation in academic activities. He also served for two consecutive summers as a residential advisor for the Summer Bridge Program at Cal State Fullerton mentoring students from the university’s Educational Opportunity Program.
Masias is especially passionate about working with students of color, motivated by his own experiences. “When I first transferred to [Fullerton], 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 at the Latinx Resource Center on campus and became involved with the Male Success Initiative, where I also found my mentor who was the director of the program.
“My advice to students of color who may struggle initially at any college is to find your communities and resources on campus; they help tremendously.”
Masias says he really enjoyed working for the Male Success Alliance at Dominguez Hills.
“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,” he said. “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. The faculty and staff at Compton College provided him with tremendous support when he was a student, 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.”
