Commuter Student Finds Belonging at UC Merced

Most weekdays, civil engineering major Jacqueline Garcia travels 45 minutes each way from her hometown of Hughson to attend classes at UC Merced.

“The perk is being able to pursue my undergraduate degree while still having a tie to home. It's been great having the campus here in the Valley,” she said.

While she has enjoyed living at home while attending a UC campus, the third-year undergraduate student said commuting does pose some challenges. Early on, she often went home right after class, making it harder to join evening activities.

“I spent so much time on the campus, but I always had to make my drive home. So, it was hard to make plans,” Garcia said. “I didn't have a home in either place.”

That changed during her second year when she said she found her core sense of belonging from her civil engineering peers. Because the civil engineering major is relatively new and small, students “build your own community.”

In 2025, she joined the newly formed American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) student chapter at UC Merced and now serves as its marketing director.

“I want to build something more in these four years than just an education. I want to build a community,” Garcia said. “I want to build friendships, relationships that will last after I graduate. And I think that's what ASCE has created for me here.”

Her involvement with ASCE is just one part of her growing professional journey.

Garcia has also significantly benefited from a four-year summer internship with Gallo that has allowed her to rotate within several different sectors of the global wine leader, giving her professional exposure. She started in the program the summer before she began attending UC Merced. This summer will be her last and then she will be added to Gallo’s application process for a full-time engineering position.

Garcia has also performed outreach with Gallo’s college ambassador program for the past two years. During the company’s open application period between August and November, she works with the Student Career Center and other organizations to share her experience with students at career fairs, networking coffees and other recruitment events.

“I bring the perspective of ‘I've interned here and this is what I've taken away from it,’” she said. “I think it’s really cool to be able to connect with students and give them the same opportunities that I was able to have as well.”

Garcia’s advice for students, especially commuters, is to get involved with the resources at UC Merced. “There are so many organizations, so many projects, so many ways to get involved.”

After graduation in 2027, she plans to search for positions in structural engineering —possibly in energy or water systems. Garcia will finish this academic year commuting but plans to move to Merced for her senior year so she can be more immersed in campus life.

“I think being on a college campus you're growing intellectually every single day. Building community here and building these connections, whether it's with faculty or with organizations has taught me the value of professionalism and learning how to stay persistent,” she said.