Rob Mieso: the one man wonder of the Office of Outreach and Relations with Schools. Originally a temporary employee in the Occupational Training Institute, he’s been at De Anza College since 1994.
Those who work with Mieso describe him as passionate, caring and eager to help others. During the summer break, Mieso travelled to Africa to work on an Ethiopian Humanitarian Project which he believes was “better than a vacation because it was for a good cause.”
A father of three and coordinator of Outreach and Student Leadership Academic Mentoring for Success, Mieso is a student himself.
He is striving for a graduate degree in organizational management and development, and plans to achieve a doctorate degree in educational leadership and change, with an emphasis in community colleges. When he does have free time, Mieso enjoys being outdoors: playing tennis, hiking and biking.
Mieso has come to play a vital role in the community and it is not going unnoticed. De Anza College recognized Mieso as Employee of the Month during January. In May, the East Union High School District Board of Trustees recognized him with the Outstanding Achievement Award for his services and contributions to the district.
Mieso attributes the success of his programs to cooperation. “If you think creatively and are willing to build relationships with other people, you can get things done with limited resources,” he says.
His program has built relationships with Financial Aid, the Marketing Department and 70 high schools that feel comfortable referring their students to De Anza.

OUTREACH EFFORTS
De Anza College
goes above and beyond
in recruiting students
to its campus

by Lauren Michelle Carter

Last May, 1500 people crammed themselves in De Anza College’s gym, which only has a holding capacity of 1,000, to attend New Student and Parent College Night.
Students from over 30 high schools were present for another event last spring -- the African American Ancestry Conference. The event was so large that a separate conference was held for Latino students. A majority of the audience for both events were students from the East Side Union High School District. After attending the conference, students were motivated to attend De Anza to prepare to transfer.
Events such as these, sponsored by the Office of Outreach and Relations with Schools, contributed to De Anza’s 12 percent enrollment increase, which is expected to be topped within the coming year. With over $300,000 in annual funding, De Anza Outreach services 70 high schools from Gilroy to San Francisco to recruit students.
“We’re accessible to people who have questions and need to get information.”, says Rob Mieso, the coordinator of the Outreach Office. Information is available online on the De Anza Web site and from student ambassadors. Ambassadors are De Anza students, employed by De Anza, to visit local high schools to provide information to potential applicants through presentations, in-information tables and by giving them information on how to connect with the counseling and career centers.
Student Ambassador Whitnee Garrett feels that the program is a success. “We as students are able to give them a young perspective on college and the transition,” she says.
The next step in the outreach process will be reaching potential students through the social networking sites students are already using: Facebook and MySpace.