In pre-pandemic times, Seattle MESA coordinators Martha Flores Pérez and Brian Tracey could  be found in six high schools and five middle schools in the Mukilteo, Seattle and Tukwila school districts, supplementing science and math classes with hands-on learning to expose students to the joys and excitement of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). The goal of the program is to build a pipeline for students from communities that have been historically underrepresented in the sciences to pursue STEM in universities and professionally, and to help develop their identities as scientists.