Rui Yu, MESA student assistant, grew up in Stockton, California, and began his MESA journey in the sixth grade during a popsicle bridge competition. Rui continued to compete in MESA competitions ranging from prosthetic arm, MESA machine, bridge, and math escape up until his final year in high school. Rui then furthered his education by attending UC Davis, majoring in mechanical engineering and minoring in electrical engineering due to MESA's influence in inspiring young engineers, like Rui, to pursue this field. Rui likes to watch shows and work out in his free time. He recently began cooking new dishes from online recipes as a hobby.