How Gratitude Became Part of the Merced College Culture

By Luciana Chavez Special to Merced College Thankfulness can be expressed in many ways. You can say “thank you” quietly, like praying. You can spit it out in anger and not mean it. You can yell it across campus, so the positive vibes spread like a virus. You can even offer a “Gee, thanks” with a side of sarcasm. Somewhere in the friendly neighborhood between a quiet prayer and calling out with unbridled gusto is where Merced College wants to operate. In 2023, the college acted on this goal by putting something quite large in motion. The Well-Being Initiative was born, and with it, a major new focus on sharing gratitude.

Foundations of Gratitude

The idea for the initiative grew naturally during challenging conversations about campus culture and morale in monthly President’s Advisory Council meetings. Lively exchanges turned into a clear directive: To better encourage engagement and care for employees in a more holistic way, the college should nurture an atmosphere of appreciation. The Well-Being Initiative began during the Fall 2023 semester. Over 250 employees have since attended the college’s popular Well-Being Institute at the Dr. Benjamin T. Duran Business Resource Center in downtown Merced, at the Los Banos Campus, or at the main campus in Merced. The five-workshop seminar opens each semester with a course called Foundations of Well-Being in the Workplace. Among the ideas explored there is how practicing gratitude affects well-being. And helping employees improve their well-being is one of Merced College’s core values. “It’s not a kumbaya thing,” said Business Professor Jonae Pistoresi, who leads the Well-Being Institute. “This is science.” Pistoresi added: “We want to live that core value, which ties into gratitude. The current research shows that when people practice gratitude, they reduce their stress. They sleep better. They have higher levels of hope and lower rates of depression. It increases resilience and encourages a positive mental outlook. They’re healthier.”

Acts of Gratitude

In 2024, the push for gratitude evolved from reflection and training at the Institute to giving employees new and easy ways to express gratitude to others. This is why we now see “Kudos & More” boxes around campus. Each box holds a collection of cards that anyone can fill out to celebrate and thank each other. Carmen Moreno, Administrative Coordinator for the School of Agriculture & Industrial Technology, has been on the sending and receiving end of Kudos cards. She sent her first to a colleague she partnered with on a project for the new Dreamscape Learn virtual reality lab on campus. The person managed nonstop emails, and kept at it until the work was complete. “I wanted them to know I appreciated their kindness and support—that their hard work did not go unnoticed,” Moreno said. “The immediacy of the notes is important. Knowing someone took a moment to pick a specific card and send a handwritten note seems small, but it makes a big difference.” Dustin Thompson, a member of the President’s Advisory Council, has taken President Chris Vitelli’s emphasis on the science of happiness to heart in his role as Acting Director of Human Resources. This semester, Thompson began reaching out weekly to all vice presidents, deans and directors and asked them to provide the name of a person they’d like to recognize for doing great work, or a new employee who had really hit the ground running, or someone the managers lean on from day to day. Then, Thompson calls each employee directly and relays the praise and gratitude shared by their manager. “I was asking which individuals exemplify what it means to work at Merced College, to be a part of the Merced College family,” Thompson said. “I can tell you it’s a good feeling to be able to spread gratitude.”

Results of Gratitude

Everyone who completes the Well-Being Institute receives a graduation gift—a framed printout of their top strengths, which each person identifies during an assessment. “We encourage them to display the frames in their offices so anyone else who has completed the courses will know on sight they’re speaking a common language,” Pistoresi said. Moreno loves seeing the familiar framed list of words. “They’ve become commonplace,” she said. “They’re conversation starters. You can tell people are open to those exchanges. It’s proof that the initiative is working. People support this effort. We’re putting things into place that people enjoy and spreading kindness and gratitude that way.” Now, gathering over common interests and needs is happening naturally. Employees from different departments who had never met have formed weekly walking groups. There are regular Fri-Yays, with monthly activities and employee club gatherings. “I think we’re blessed to have a president who gets it,” Pistoresi said. “He doesn’t just talk about it. Doing this work is a great investment for the college to make. It’s important for the employee, the human being—but then they make the organization better, and that carries over to our students. Everyone wins.”