Chris Vitelli
“While we can all take great pride in the on-field successes of our student-athletes, what’s most impressive is the success they find in the classroom and in their careers.”
Foreword
Dear Merced College Colleagues, Merced College has a long and storied history of success in athletics, with state championship banners and individual All-American performances scattered all throughout our six decades of Blue Devil sports. As we move through another year of amazing athletic achievements, we’d like to celebrate our student-athletes this month with a special issue of the Blue Devil’s Advocate. While we can all take great pride in the on-field successes of our student-athletes, what’s most impressive is the success they find in the classroom and in their careers. On average, student-athletes at Merced College persist and graduate at significantly higher rates than their peers. The reasons for this are many, starting with the students and the commitment they make to themselves, their coaches, their teammates and their families. But a lot of their success is also due to the institutional commitment our athletics department has made to ensuring athletes have all the support they need, from tutoring to basic needs and everything in between. We are a community college, and sports are a big part of how we engage with and serve our community. Local alumni and fans come out to cheer on our student-athletes, and our teams give local students the opportunity to explore their academic and professional futures while continuing to play the sports they love. Many of them transfer to four-year universities, often while receiving athletic scholarships. The combination of their education and the life skills they’ve learned in sports translate to success in their careers, as well. Some of those careers are in sports-related fields like kinesiology, athletic training, and physical education, all of which are offered as degree programs at Merced College. We hope you enjoy this month’s issue, which offers a behind-the-scenes deep dive into what truly makes Merced College athletics so successful: the people, from the student-athletes themselves, to the coaches and faculty who guide him, to the leadership and support staff who are committed to empowering them on their personal and academic journeys. Lastly, I hope you will make the time to attend a few sporting events at Merced College this year and celebrate athletics, which are such integral piece of our district’s past, present and future. Go Blue Devils!
Sincerely,
Chris Vitelli, Ed.D.
Superintendent/President