Merced College Student of the Month

March 2009

Pedro Martinez 

Major:                           Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology (HVAC)

Interests:                      camping, soccer, spending time with family  
                                                                 

Future Goals:                career as an  Air Conditioning Mechanic      

Nominating Instructor:  Melissa Dailey, Professor of English  

Pedro Martinez has been chosen as the March Student of the Month at Merced College.  Pedro was nominated and chosen for his strong work ethic.  He was nominated by Professor Melissa Dailey, adjunct instructor for the English and Humanities area.  She was impressed by his continuous need to improve  "everyday he would ask how he could improve, what he was doing wrong and what needed to be done."  He consistently meliorated everyday with every assignment,  "I consider him one of my strongest writers", says Dailey. 

While Pedro is only 18 years old he is quite sure of his future goals.  He plans to graduate in HVAC technology  and would like to work as an Air Conditioning Mechanic.  His personal goal is to "demonstrate to English learners that it is possible to reach your goals and make your dreams come true."  He finds ventilation and air conditioning systems challenging and interesting.  Currently he is learning about identifying all the wiring and cables that must function correctly.  Pedro is from Michoacán, Mexico, lives in Merced and attends a Christian church.  He graduated from Golden Valley High School in 2008 with a GPA of 3.1.  This is only his second semester and has earned a 4.0 in his reading, writing and mathematics courses.  A certificate of honor was presented as an acknowledgment of outstanding scholarship achievement while at Golden Valley High School.  Pedro also received a certificate from Bank of America presented for excellence in English being his second language.  In addition to fulltime coursework Pedro works part-time at a local grocery store stocking shelves and cleaning.  Pedro thanks God who gives him strength to work hard and achieve his goals.  

"Along with being hard working he is a very pleasant student to be around" says Ms. Dailey.  He is always willing to go the extra mile and assist his instructor or classmates. Pedro was honored with a certificate at the recent Board of Trustees meeting and received a check and a special parking pass for the month of March. He will be considered for the Student of the Year in a few months. Congratulations and best wishes to Pedro!