Community Service

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service: A Day On, Not a Day Off

January 15, 2026

UC Merced students shown leading the MLK Jr Day Unity march.

UC Merced will honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by hosting a day of action, inviting the campus and community to serve together on Monday, Jan. 19. In keeping with King’s call to build a “beloved community,” UC Merced’s Community Engagement Center is inviting...

Yosemite Leadership Program Coordinator to Expand Its Profile

The UC Merced Yosemite Leadership Program’s first full-time leader plans to build on the program’s momentum and expand its visibility. Jacob Croasdale was recently selected to oversee the 3-year-old...

Students Share Personal Stories in Program to Keep Kids in School

UC Merced senior Patricia Paredes didn’t grow up in the best neighborhood or have the easiest childhood. But she overcame those hardships to graduate from a San Jose high school and enroll at the...

Transfer Student Triumphs Over Foster Care Odds

Portia Mira considers herself lucky. Although the UC Merced senior was taken from her parents and spent five years in foster care, she said she and her sister are much better off than most. “Most...

First Year of Medical Education Celebrated as Campus Grows Health Research Programs

The inaugural group of students in the UC Merced San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education said their first year was challenging, but filled with reminders of why they want to serve their ...

Scholarship Supports Student Magician’s Visit to Help Chinese Earthquake Orphans

When a deadly earthquake shook the Sichuan province of his native China in May 2008, John Li watched from Los Angeles and immediately made a connection. He knew his passion for performing magic could...

Harvard Program Grooms Future Latino Leaders

Five University of California, Merced, undergraduate students have been selected to attend the Latino Leadership Initiative (LLI) Program at Harvard University Kennedy School’s Center for Public...

Doctoral Student Researches Area History, Pursues New Career

An academic focus on the Central Valley region’s historically African-American communities brought Michael Eissinger to UC Merced. He decided the UC’s newest campus was the best...

Political Science Major Serves Students, Community on Local School Board

Fidel Cervantes found the right fit for his university education 25 miles down the road from home. A native of Delhi in north Merced County, Cervantes selected UC Merced when he made his college...

'Ugh the Duck' to Entertain Local Youth

“Ugh the Duck,” a retelling of the classic tale, “The Ugly Duckling,” will be performed at UC Merced in May as part of an effort to expose Merced County youth to opera and theater. The project is...