A smiling throng of new faces took part Tuesday in one of UC Merced’s oldest traditions, the Scholars Bridge Crossing.
Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz and other campus leaders led the march over the bridge. Blue and gold balloons arced over the span, which was lined with cheering staff, faculty and current students. “Let’s go, Bobcats!” they chanted.
The procession then passed through the Beginnings sculpture, signifying the start of the students’ academic journeys at UC Merced. During commencement ceremonies, graduates go through Beginnings again, in the other direction.
“Bobcats are dreamers, and you will be the first in your fields, advancing UC Merced further and moving science and your knowledge forward,” Muñoz told the sprawling crowd of first-year and transfer students moments before the crossing.
“I hope that you take pride in the legacy that you are now a part of, and the stories that you will write for yourselves, and in writing your story, writing the story of UC Merced and the new path you will forge.”
Big cheer for biggest group of new faces: Mistura Bankrole, president of the Associated Students of UC Merced, triggered a mighty cheer from the throng of new Bobcats when she said, “Congratulations. You are the largest incoming class in UC Merced history!”
A big hello to Bobcat Kittens: Moments before the crossing began, Muñoz walked to a curb along Scholars Lane where toddlers from the Early Childhood Education Center sat with matching T-shirts and bright pom-poms. Smiling, the chancellor gave each Bobcat Kitten a high-five.
Attracted by great financial aid: Christian Ford, an incoming aerospace engineering major from Palmdale, competed against a friend in a pre-march activity: plastic axe throws. Was he winning? “Nope.”
Ford said the unmatched financial aid drew him to UC Merced. “The tuition they offered was great, so I thought, ‘Why not?’”
A sign from the heart: Anna Eastridge, a student who serves as a peer adviser in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, held a beautiful, hand-painted sign that featured a sleek bobcat framed with California golden poppies. “The Road to Success is Through UC Merced,” it read.
Supporting a big transition: Abhayjit Singh and Andrew Buu stood on Scholars Lane Bridge, holding aloft signs that read, “It’s OK, Kitten” and “You’re a Bobcat Now.”
Buu, a fourth-year applied mathematics major from El Dorado Hills, credited “divine inspiration” with prompting the signs. “It’s the transition from high school to college,” he said.
An employee of the Residential Education Department, Buu said he came to UC Merced because “My parents told me that’s where you’re going.” But he and fellow department employee and fourth-year student Singh said they were happy with where they landed.
“I feel like there’s so much opportunity here,” Buu said. “If you want a job, you can get one.”
Singh, a mechanical engineering major from the Bay Area, said he appreciated the chance to do undergraduate research. “A lot of my friends at other universities who have been trying to get into research can’t,” he said. “I’ve gotten the chance to do it here.”
A UC that just feels right: Sahasra Chinta, a first-year from Fremont, said she checked out several UC campuses and preferred UC Merced. “It’s just a nice feel here. It’s different,” said Chinta, who looked forward to pursuing her biological sciences major and making lifelong friends.
Two for new business administration major: First-years Jesus Garcia and Emiliano Lopez are majoring in business administration, a degree debuting this fall. Garcia, who went to high school in Visalia, said he chose the major because he’s good with math and would like to run his own business. Lopez, from San Diego, said UC Merced offered great financial aid and was a good fit academically.
“It feels like it’s really quiet, so you can focus more on school,” said Lopez, who complemented his Bridge Crossing T-shirt with plaid pajama pants and red Lightning McQueen Crocs.
Fulfilling a role in the Central Valley: Abigail Aguirre of Inglewood and Roman Hernandez of Modesto posed for a photo with university mascot Rufus in front of the “UCM” letters sculpture.
Aguirre chose psychology for her major. “I know at a surface level what we do and how we think. But I want to go deeper,” she said. “I want to know exactly why people feel the way they do or react differently than I do.”
Hernandez said the financial package he received was a big draw, but he also pointed to the university’s location. “The whole reason this school was created was to give the Central Valley and people like me an opportunity for quality higher education,” he said.
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