2020 Graduate Program

COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES of MERCED COLLEGE DON ODISHOO FIELD STADIUM ’76 MERCED COLLEGE CAMPUS Th ursday, May Twentieth Two Th ousand Twenty-One TABLE of CONTENTS PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ............................................................. 1 ASMC PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE .................................................. 2 PLATFORM PARTY ...................................................................... 3 COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM .................................................. 5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................... 7 AWARDS ....................................................................................... 8 ASSOCIATE OF ARTS DEGREES ................................................. 9 ASSOCIATE OF SCIENCE DEGREES ........................................ 17 ABOUT MERCED COLLEGE ..................................................... 21 TRADITION............................................................................... 23 AVP EXTERNAL RELATIONS’ MESSAGE .................................. 24 EDUCATIONAL DIRECTORS & SENATE PRESIDENTS .......... 25 FULL-TIME FACULTY ............................................................... 26 MAP OF CAMPUS ...................................................................... 27 CHRIS VITELLI, Ed.D. HUGO WANDERLEY DE SOUZA Superintendent/President ASMC President Dear Merced College Graduates and Supporters, Take a moment to think about when you feel the most fragile, when you feel broken and you feel like your best Commencement is the culmination of an educational option is just to stay where you are—those are the moments journey with nuanced paths, and your journey to this where you need to strive to overcome the obstacles in your path. moment has been challenging in ways that no one could have anticipated. Th e Sometimes, people become so consumed with what’s going on in the world that resilience and dedication you’ve shown in the face of adversity are admirable, and they forget to look inward. People start following, instead of leading. Be willing to you deserve to celebrate this remarkable achievement. look inside and know your worth. If you do, then, you will be able to reach a new level and make a positive impact on the world around you. Overcoming adversity, facing fears, beating the odds, and making a commitment for As you walk across the stage today, know that your success, belongs not only to a better future for you and your family—regardless of the path you’ve taken, today you, but also to the administration, faculty and classifi ed professionals of Merced is a day to refl ect with pride on your successes and lessons learned, and to look with College. To those counselors that advised us and guided us to the right classes, to optimism to the bright future that lies ahead. those professors that dealt with our tardiness, our absences, and still, at the end of the semester, continued to care enough to help us pass – THANK YOU! We will You have been surrounded by a team of educators and professionals who are truly never forget you and your eff ort to help us! among the best in higher education. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the A famous motivational speaker, Les Brown, once said: “You will only be successful Merced College trustees, faculty, classifi ed professionals, and administrators who once you get to the point and realize that you must want it as much as you want to have made our motto a living reality: Students are our focus, and we are known by breathe.” Each one of us should get to that point, because that is where we discover their success. our value, our gifts, and our talents. Each of us are unique and special, we have a lot to off er, and cannot allow failure to be caused by fear. Also surrounding our graduates are family, friends and supporters who have made signifi cant sacrifi ces to support you in your educational pursuits. Even if they cannot But, my fellow graduates, we have sacrifi ced to arrive at graduation. Those of us that be with you in person, they share in your accomplishments and celebrate this milestone have families, jobs, and children and worked hard, relentlessly, throughout our time in your life. Th ey are inspired by you, and you have set an example for them to follow. at Merced College – congratulations. Th is past year created many diffi culties in our academic and personal lives. We attended school through a pandemic, a pandemic which cut us off from family, friends, and the rest of the world. We could only I hope that you will stay connected and engaged with your newest alma mater, and connect with people through little screens on our phones and computers. We were that you will look for opportunities to help the next generation of Blue Devils, just required to stay-at-home, and so much of our life changes; but we did it. Despite like so many have helped you along your journey. the distance learning and other diffi culties, we still did it, and we did it together. Th at makes this accomplishment that much greater. Th is is the end of a chapter. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, administrators, faculty, and classifi ed professionals After today, we are on to new beginnings, new goals, new achievements, and new of Merced College, I off er my heartfelt congratulations on reaching this milestone. destinations. In all that is to come, I wish us all the best in this crazy world where I know we can make a diff erence. Congrats class of 2021, we degreed up. We did what Sincerely, most can’t do: prioritize, time-manage, and study like crazy! We are role models and are the embodiment of perseverance and dedication. I applaud us. Hugo Wanderley de Souza ASMC President Chris Vitelli, Ed.D. Superintendent/President 1 Commencement Exercises of Merced College 58 Years of Educational Excellence 2 PLATFORM PARTY Board of Trustees President’s Cabinet Deans Ernie Ochoa Chris Vitelli, Ed.D. John Albano Sylvia Ruano President Superintendent/President Fine & Performing Arts and Allied Health, Business and Public Social Sciences Safety John Pedrozo Joe Allison Vice President Vice President Murrell Green Dee Sigismond, Ph.D. Administrative Services Student Services Institutional Eff ectiveness Joe Gutierrez Clerk Michael McCandless, Ed.D. Travis Hicks Greg Soto Vice President English & Humanities Dual Enrollment, Outreach, Kory Benson Student Services Guided Pathways, A&R Trustee Doug Kain, Ph.D. Kelly Avila Mathematics and Science Bryan Tassey Sue Chappell Associate Vice President Career and Technical Education Trustee Human Resources Jessica Moran Acting Vice President of Los Banos Campus Mario Mendoza Instruction Trustee Ivan Pena, Ed.D. Arlis Bortner Student Equity and Success Carmen Ramirez, J.D. Associate Vice President Trustee Information Technology Services Student Speakers Jill Cunningham Associate Vice President Dulce Ruby Calvillo External Relations Kylie N. Greenwood Stacey Hicks 3 Commencement Exercises of Merced College 58 Years of Educational Excellence 4 COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM Order of Processional Announcement of Dignitaries Graduating Outstanding Student Awards Honor Candidates - Candidates Kelly Avila Acting Vice President of Instruction, Merced College Processional - “Pomp and Circumstance” - Elgar Recognition of Veteran Graduates “Th e Star Spangled Banner” Michael McCandless, Ed.D. Vice President, Student Services, Merced College Welcome and Opening Remarks Presentation of Chris Vitelli, Ed.D. Superintendent/President, Merced College Candidates for Graduation Chris Vitelli, Ed.D. Student Address Superintendent/President, Merced College Dulce Ruby Calvillo Conferring of Associate Degrees Kylie N. Greenwood Stacey Hicks Board of Trustees Announcement of Presentation of Graduates Names Superintendent’s/President’s Honors Candidates Chris Vitelli, Ed.D. Closing Remarks Superintendent/President, Merced College Chris Vitelli, Ed.D. Superintendent/President, Merced College Recognition of Honors Candidates Kelly Avila Acting Vice President of Instruction, Merced College 5 Commencement Exercises of Merced College 58 Years of Educational Excellence 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AWARDS Merced College acknowledges with appreciation the assistance of the following Outstanding Graduating Students in the development of graduation activities: Ignacio Rosales Lupercio Accounting Dulce Calvillo Administrative Medical Offi ce Professional Commencement Committee: Mayra Lopez Administrative Offi ce Professional Rikiya Hatano Agriculture Business • Murrell Green • Stacey Hicks • Toni McCall Nicole Groteguth Agriculture Business Maci Jurado Animal Science • Delia Esquivel • Dondi Lawrence • Nora Martinez Mary Alvernaz Art Harbeer Panesar Biology • Andrea Garibay • Freddy Loera • John Rhoades Walker Murphy Business Administration Alessa Salazar CAD Drafting - Mechanical Design • Shannon Gragg • Arthur Hernandez • Estelina Jones Joshua Ziese CAD Draftsman - Architectural • Suzanne McGhee • Alan Ward • Donya Avila Tanzeel Kour Chemistry Nereida Madrigal Magana Child Development Vanessa Harris Communications Studies Matthew Simmons Computer and Networking Technology Photographers: Juan Luis Rodriguez & Campus Candids Alexander Alvarez Computer Science Alejandro Garcia Crop Science Alejandro Garcia Crop Science Plants: Frantz Nursery, 12879 Riverview Road, Hickman Ethan Anderson Diesel Equipment Technology Jacqueline Hernandez-Diaz Digital Art Sound, Video Screens and Stage: JO Studios Yvette Sanchez Economics Mariah Uribe Elementary Teacher Education Brookelyn Brigham English Bottled Water Donation: PEPSICO Houa Chang

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