John Espinosa's Merced College story is ongoing. It started nearly a decade ago when he left Atwater High a year and a half early to attend Merced College. The current chapter began three years ago with a job as a lab technician on the college's Los Banos Campus. Read More
At the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) they say, "Teamwork is a must, and everyone's opinion counts." And that is why the disparate Merced College personalities of 19-year old French horn player Megan Phillips, 27-year old computer geek Stephen Schertz and 21-year old veteran NASA intern Angelica Walker could walk into their NASA internship projects this summer and completely ace the challenges. Read More
The California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office is encouraging student enrollment across all 116 colleges as the statewide demand for skilled workers grows. Major industries such as manufacturing, healthcare and firefighting, among others, are citing the critical need for skilled applicants and local community colleges serve the crucial role of providing flexible, hands-on training options to students so they can be prepared for the in-demand jobs of today and tomorrow Read More
City of Merced Fire Chief Derek Parker was just a volunteer administering shots to Merced County residents when he met Merced College President Chris Vitelli at the school's COVID-19 vaccination clinic back in February. It was a quick exchange, Vitelli shaking Parker's hand and saying, "Hey, if you ever want to partner up on any projects, let me know." Read More
A successful and voluntary employee giving program puts its money where its mouth is, freeing organizations to help charities they believe in or causes their employees choose. At Merced College, the beneficiaries are the Blue Devils themselves. Read More
The resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic prevented a full-scale celebration of a new academic year at Merced College today, but the college's annual Convocation event was held on campus for the first time since 2019, which gave the hundreds of employees in attendance plenty of reason for joy and optimism. Read More
Masks are still required indoors and health guidance continues to evolve, but Merced College students and faculty will finally return to campus when the Fall 2021 semester begins Aug. 16. That audible breath you just heard is the sound of the college community exhaling tension and boredom after 16 months spent interacting with the world through computer screens during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Read More