The South Merced community and Merced College are coming together in the name of student engagement and support.
The grand opening of the South Merced Center at Stephen Leonard Park on Sept. 29 commemorated Merced College taking up residence at the former youth center. The college will offer classes, job training and much more, while also bringing institutional services like enrollment and financial aid to the newly refurbished facility.
The ribbon cutting was a special moment for the college and for the community, and the meaning was perhaps felt most deeply by Merced College employees who have their own ties to the South Merced area.
“The new center creates a reality that higher education is attainable,” said athletics counselor Pablo Gutierrez, who grew up on the south side of Merced. “It’s right there, just blocks away from where we live. Having a presence in that area will motivate prospective students to make it work for themselves. That excites me and should excite our community.”
The city and the college are stepping into the future with an initial five-year lease and an option for a second. President Chris Vitelli said during the event that the district is “here to stay.”
Britney Ramirez, an Administrative Assistant with Merced College’s Child Development Center who lives in South Merced, said the center will increase access to educational resources for what has historically been an underserved community.
“Using the center will be a much easier way to be in touch with the college,” Ramirez said. “Educational spaces are intimidating, so bringing the college to the neighborhood will do a lot.”
Plans
Located at 640 7th Street, the center had been one of the calling cards at Stephen Leonard Park since a 2015 renovation. The park includes the center, a skate park, a splash pad, walking trails, open green spaces, playgrounds and a picnic area.
Around the same time, Merced College was updating its Educational Master Plan. One of the plan’s priorities was to reach new student populations, including identifying academic programs that could meet South Merced’s instructional needs and establishing a permanent “brick-and-mortar” college presence in the area.
That shared interest eventually brought the city and college together, with the city selecting Merced College to help bring new educational and workforce opportunities to the center.
From there, the college surveyed residents in the 95341 ZIP code to better understand the community’s interests, needs and barriers to accessing education. Based on what it learned, the college is offering an initial selection of workshops and information sessions on AgTEC, Allied Health, Public Safety and STEM careers, along with noncredit programs and outreach connecting residents to college services.
Over the coming months, locals will be able to apply, enroll and receive academic and career counseling on site, as well as access financial aid and basic needs resources.
Joe Serena, Dean of Instruction, Allied Health & Public Safety, said the college wants residents to understand the center is not geared to only one type of student or program. In Spring 2027, the college will offer a cohort for Certified Nursing Assistant training and Sociology, ESL/English, and Guidance courses.
The CNA courses will be held in a hospital room setup for hands-on learning.
“That’s a good example of what we want the center to become,” Serena said. “This is going to be a place where someone can walk in and experience different career and educational pathways on site, rather than simply receive information about them.”
Reality
Merced College employees Pablo Gutierrez, Lupe Ramirez, Britney Ramirez and Marcy Gallardo are all either natives of South Merced or former or current residents of the area. They know its personality and heart, and they understand the kind of impact the South Merced Center might have.
“We’re a working-class community, but we don’t have a ‘deficit’ mindset,” said Britney Ramirez. “The community is strong, because we understand we need each other. We show up for each other. The college coming there—it’s not to fix us. It’s an opportunity for everyone.”
They also know intimately the weight of misperception South Merced has historically endured. Now others are acting to change it.
“Wow, finally!” said Gallardo, Administrative Assistant in Business & Fiscal Services and Britney’s mother. “I hate to even say this out loud, but people have this opinion of South Merced, like it’s a bad area. Maybe it’s just because we haven’t had the same attention as the north side. Having this center feels like when the city built Farmdale and Pioneer Elementary Schools. This also makes educational opportunities more accessible here.”
Energy
The locals know the potential that’s about to be unleashed. Gutierrez feels the excitement every time he shows up at Tenaya Middle School to play soccer each Sunday.
“The center has been a big topic of conversation there,” Gutierrez said. “People have been asking about hours of operation, the types of classes that would be offered. People want to know if the space will be open when they get off work.”
Lupe Ramirez, the college’s Social Media and Campus Engagement Specialist, grew up on the south side, across the street from her future husband. They fell in love at the bus stop as teenagers, waiting for buses to take them to Merced High. They spent part of their youth bridging that geographical gap between their neighborhood and their education. Her parents used to do the same while taking ESL classes at an adult school on the north side.
But now everyone can see the potential of the South Merced Center. Lupe Ramirez’s sister-in-law works at Sheehy Elementary, right across the street. She immediately got excited knowing what the center could mean for the students and families she sees every day.
“She’s always trying to find resources for those families,” Lupe Ramirez said. “Whatever the college offers those south Merced families in the future, we have to keep those kids busy and involved.”
Gallardo added, “There is still need in south Merced. With Merced College arriving there, I hope it will amplify that need so other agencies and businesses move into the area.”
These South Mercedians believe their community will welcome the college with open arms.
“I’ve always felt the people here loved Merced and cared for Merced,” Britney Ramirez said. “We all know Merced College is a great resource—we just haven’t always been able to access it.
“This center is an incredible opportunity. We’ll embrace it and make it our own.”