Foreword

Dear Merced College Colleagues, As it does every year, the month of May brings a time of celebrations of all kinds at Merced College. In this month’s issue of the Blue Devil’s Advocate, we’re focusing on what will always be the biggest celebration of the year in our district: Commencement. More than 3,500 degrees and certificates are being awarded this year, and around 700 total graduates are expected to cross the stage at graduation ceremonies at the Los Banos Campus on May 23 and the Merced Campus on May 24. Among this year’s graduates are several who are children of Merced College faculty and classified professionals—more than we could fit into one article, in fact, so keep an eye on our social media channels for even more new members of our Blue Devil “family within a family.” My heartfelt congratulations go out to all of them, to their loving parents and special friends, and to all of this year’s graduates and their supporters. Also in this month’s issue is a story on our first ever Lavender graduation celebration, a truly joyful event that I was proud to attend in our Equity Hub late last month. You’ll also meet inspiring graduate Jessica Moore, and get to know Jenelle Batchelor, whose events team plays a huge role in pulling off our two Commencement ceremonies each year. There are so many other celebrations in May, from nursing pinning ceremonies to our fire academy and paramedic graduation to our Black Student Graduation/Award Recognition and our Retiree and Years of Service Celebration, just to name a few. There’s also Classified School Employee Week, which honors the classified professionals who work so tirelessly every day to help create a safe, welcoming and supportive environment for our students—we look forward to celebrating you even more in our June issue. Not to be forgotten, May is also when we celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, as well as Mental Health Awareness Month. Our district programs and services have been busy celebrating both, all while working hard to finish the year strong. If you ever find yourself feeling stressed or overwhelmed, I hope you’ll take a moment to pause and remember all the great things we’re doing at Merced College every single day, and the thousands of lives we’re changing ever year through education. You are a part of our students’ success, and that is truly worth celebrating. Sincerely,