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United for Education: Merced Institutions Forge a Stronger Future Together at UC Merced Summit

October 21, 2025
Pictured left to right: Merced College President Chris Vitelli, Merced Union High School District Superintendent Alan Peterson, Merced City School District Superintendent Juliana Stocking, UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz

In an unprecedented show of unity, leaders from Merced City School District, Merced Union High School District, Merced College and UC Merced came together to discuss how continued collaboration can transform education and opportunities across the region.

Hosted at UC Merced and attended by local educators, community leaders and public officials, the State of Merced Education Summit provided an inspiring look at how each organization is addressing its students’ needs and outlined a shared vision: aligning programs, resources and innovation to ensure students in the region can thrive at every stage of their educational journeys.

UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz opened the summit by noting that, to the university’s knowledge, this gathering marked the first time leaders from all four institutions had gathered this way – a testament, he said, to a “new era of coordination and cooperation.”

“Each of you lead with dedication and skill,” Muñoz told the audience. “UC Merced is proud to be part of this endeavor of collaboration.”

During his opening remarks, he also mentioned an example of what’s possible when educators collaborate. The Promise Housing Project, a partnership with Merced College, will provide affordable housing for transfer students and serve as a physical extension of the Merced Promise, which already guarantees local college students a pathway to UC Merced.

“The goal today isn’t to solve all our challenges,” Muñoz said, “but to give you a glimpse of where things stand, from kindergarten through Ph.D., and to recognize that this community is uniquely positioned for success.”

Alan Peterson, superintendent of the Merced Union High School District, reflected on nearly a decade of progress since he first took the helm in 2015.

“Back then,” he said, “we asked ourselves what all students truly need during their time in one of our schools. The answer was that every student should walk off the graduation stage with a diploma in one hand, CTE certification in the other and college credit already on their transcript.”

That philosophy fueled the school district’s rapid growth of dual enrollment with Merced College, which increased from 277 students to more than 1,800 in a few short years. It also helped spark conversations with UC Merced about access and readiness that ultimately led to the Merced Automatic Admissions Program.

Peterson emphasized that this work isn’t just about education; it’s about economic development and community strength.

“When institutions collaborate,” he said, “the whole community wins.”

Merced City School District Superintendent Juliana Stocking (Photo credit: Shawn Jansen, MUHSD)

Juliana Stocking, superintendent of the Merced City School District, reminded the audience that the pathway to college and a career begins long before high school.

“Our purpose,” she said, “is to focus on our students’ talents and to recognize that families are our students’ first teachers.”

Stocking, who oversees more than 11,000 students across the city’s K–8 schools, described efforts to cultivate a college-going culture through literacy initiatives, dual language immersion and early career-awareness programs.

“We don’t just want to bring programs,” she said. “We want to bring high-quality programs.”

She also shared examples of collaborations already underway, including career technical education in middle schools, partnerships with Merced College such as “College For Kids” and student tutoring, and new summer camps, along with arts and athletic collaborations with UC Merced that help students and families see themselves on college campuses.

And while there is much work to be done, Stocking said some headway has been made in addressing long-standing literacy issues and aging facilities. She said ongoing partnerships such as this “aren’t just helpful – they are required for the success of our students and our community.”

Merced College President Chris Vitelli (Photo credit: Shawn Jansen, MUHSD)

Chris Vitelli, president of Merced College, called the gathering a moment of both reflection and possibility.

“Together, we are good,” he said, “but we can be much, much better.”

He thanked Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria for her presence and support, emphasizing the shared responsibility of educators and policymakers to invest in the region’s students.

“Education remains the most powerful tool for economic mobility,” Vitelli said, reaffirming his commitment to provide a high-quality education at an affordable price.

Vitelli shared that Merced College now serves more than 20,000 students – the most in its history – with nearly 70 percent identifying as first-generation. The college’s annual economic impact exceeds $325 million and supports more than 4,000 jobs locally.

He spotlighted innovative initiatives such as HyFlex Fridays for flexible learning, competency-based education, and immersive learning through programs such as the AgTech Innovation Center and Dreamscape Learn.

Vitelli also pointed to the Promise Housing project as embodying the spirit of partnership driving this effort.

“We’re sending a message to students from kindergarten on: If you want to stay here, learn here and grow here, we will invest in you,” he said.

When Muñoz returned to the podium, he connected these individual efforts to UC Merced’s broader mission of teaching, research and public service.

“The mission of the University of California is to serve the people of this state,” he said. “For UC Merced, that means providing opportunity to an underserved region, and we’ve done just that.”

He noted that UC Merced’s annual economic impact now exceeds $1 billion, supporting one in every 15 jobs in the region, and that the university continues to attract new investment and people to enrich the local community.

“UC Merced’s growth is tied to the vitality of the community around it,” Muñoz said. “We are proud to stand with our partners, to share success, face challenges honestly and build toward a future that reflects the very best of Merced.”

Alyssa Johansen

Alyssa Johansen HeadshotPublic Information Officer

Office: (209) 413-9330

ajohansen@ucmerced.edu