Foreword

Dear Merced College Colleagues,

Women’s History Month offers an opportunity to recognize the countless ways women have shaped our communities, our institutions, and the opportunities available to the next generation. At Merced College, we see those contributions every day through the work of faculty, staff, students, and alumni who are helping to create meaningful pathways for others.

In this issue of the Blue Devil’s Advocate, we highlight several women whose efforts are strengthening the systems and opportunities that support student success. Faculty members such as Valerie Albano and Libby Soria are helping lead innovations in teaching and curriculum, from immersive virtual reality learning environments to new competency-based pathways that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge in ways that better reflect real-world skills. Their work reminds us that education continues to evolve, and that progress often begins with individuals willing to embrace new ideas and guide others through change.

Other colleagues, including Angel Comer and Lorena Calderon, are helping students find their way forward by strengthening transfer pathways, counseling support, and connections to four-year institutions. Their work is rooted in a simple but powerful idea: When students feel supported and confident in their direction, they are far more likely to achieve their goals.

We also share the story of women veterans at the Central California Women’s Facility, whose commitment to education through the Rising Scholars program and the Veterans Resource Center reflects the transformative power of learning. For these students, college represents not only academic progress, but also a renewed sense of purpose, identity, and possibility.

Our alumni profile introduces Andrea Cruthird-Mays and Ana Boyenga, two Merced College graduates who have devoted their careers to education in our region. Their journeys demonstrate how the influence of teachers, mentors, and community can inspire a lifelong commitment to helping others succeed.

Finally, we invite you to get to know Mayra Soriagalvarro, whose work in capital projects and facilities planning helps shape the spaces where learning takes place every day. Her story is a reminder that the growth of a college depends on many people working behind the scenes to support students and the campus community.

Taken together, these stories reflect something we often emphasize at Merced College: Meaningful progress rarely happens because of one person alone. It comes from individuals who are willing to share their experience, invest in others, and contribute to something larger than themselves. In that sense, the progress we celebrate during Women’s History Month is a powerful example of the kind of change that is always greater than any one of us (∆>ME).