Turning Ideas Into Impact With Engineering Exchange for Social Justice

That balance is exactly what draws Pearl Mecenas to her work as the Engineering Exchange for Social Justice (ExSJ) executive manager, where she's the newest member of the leadership committee. Her main responsibility, as she puts it, is "really about bringing ideas to life," helping move projects "from brainstorming to execution." On any given day, that might mean planning events, supporting student initiatives, coordinating with community partners or simply keeping projects organized so every idea has a real shot at becoming something impactful for the community.

Before stepping into this role, Mecenas built a long career in healthcare, traveled frequently around the world and eventually created a community-oriented organization of her own: Gifted Blind Artists, Crafters and Knitters (Gifted Back) whose mission is to celebrate the talents of blind and low-vision artisans through art, music and handmade gifts. 

The idea took shape during trips to India with her husband, where she met blind and low-vision athletes and visited organizations serving that community. "Those experiences inspired me to think about how I could use my skills to create opportunities for this community when we returned to San Diego," she says. 

That thinking led her to launch Gifted Back on Oct. 3, 2021, after noticing how many talented blind and low vision artisans struggled "to compete in a marketplace that puts so much emphasis on branding, packaging and visual presentation." 

She started by reaching out to potential partners directly, simply asking, "How can we collaborate?" Those early conversations grew into pop-ups at local cafés and in Balboa Park. Along the way, through her work on the board of the Blind Community Center of San Diego, she met Professor Odesma Dalrymple and later joined her Engineering 103 course as a community partner, a connection that eventually opened the door to ExSJ.

Across all her experiences in healthcare, corporate America, traveling the world and launching community initiatives, Mecenas' notion of success has evolved. She now sees success as "creating meaningful impact, building relationships and helping connect people in ways they might not have otherwise."

She explains, "today, I measure success less by titles or accomplishments and more by the relationships I build, the communities I help strengthen and whether I leave something a little better than I found it."

Looking toward the future, Mecenas hopes ExSJ becomes "the place people naturally think of when they have an idea or a community challenge and want to explore how engineering can make a positive impact."

With many ways to connect with ExSJ, such as visiting the Fall Alcalá Bazaar table, attending one of the ExSJ Lunch & Knowledge Exchanges throughout the year or connecting with one of the many members of ExSJ leadership team, she hopes students and community members will understand that "sometimes we think change has to start with a big idea, but it often begins with a conversation, a question or simply saying yes to an opportunity."

If you’re ready to say yes to that opportunity, Mecenas and ExSJ welcome you to reach out directly at pmecenas@sandiego.edu or (619) 433-4493, or visit @usd.exsj on Instagram to learn more about getting involved, current projects or building a community partnership with ExSJ.