By JILL CUNNINGHAM
Before there was a campus, before there were graduates, before there were traditions, there were people who believed Merced County deserved a community college. One of those people was my grandfather, Byron Cunningham.
In 1962, he served on the founding Board of Trustees that helped turn an idea into reality. Growing up, I heard stories about how passionately he believed that education could change lives and strengthen an entire community. He believed Merced County’s students deserved the opportunity to pursue higher education close to home, and he worked alongside many others to help make that vision a reality.
At the time, there were no classrooms on a beautiful campus. There were no graduation ceremonies beneath blue skies. There were no generations of alumni whose lives had been transformed.
There was simply a belief that every student deserved the opportunity to get there. A belief that investing in education would create opportunity, strengthen families, and build a brighter future for our community.
The people of Merced County voted yes.
Local leaders donated land.
Community members rolled up their sleeves.
And Merced College was born.
That story has stayed with me throughout my life. Not simply because my grandfather was part of it, but because it reminds me that Merced College has never belonged to one person. It has always belonged to this community.
For more than 60 years, Merced College has been preparing nurses who care for our families, teachers who educate our children, first responders who protect our neighborhoods, agricultural leaders who feed the world, entrepreneurs who grow our local economy, and countless graduates whose stories began here before carrying them far beyond our campus.
We’ve been here.
We’ve been here for the first-generation student who didn’t think college was possible. We’ve been here for the single parent balancing work, family, and classes. We’ve been here for veterans beginning a new chapter. We’ve been here for recent high school graduates discovering their purpose. We’ve been here for adults courageous enough to start over.
Every one of those stories is part of the legacy that began in 1962.
Today, I see that same spirit reflected in President Chris Vitelli’s leadership. His unwavering belief in our students and in the transformative power of education reminds me that while campuses evolve and generations change, the heart of Merced College remains the same. We are here to create opportunity, strengthen our community, and change lives.
Sometimes I wonder what my grandfather would think if he could walk across campus today.
I think he would be amazed by the beautiful campus and the thousands upon thousands of graduates whose lives have been forever changed because a community believed in the power of education.
But more than anything, I think he would be proud that his granddaughter now has the privilege of working at the very college he helped build and carrying forward the mission he believed in so deeply.
Every day, I have the honor of witnessing what he believed was possible. I see students become nurses, teachers, business owners, first responders, and leaders. I see families celebrating first-generation college graduates. I see lives transformed, not just for one student, but for entire generations.
That is the power of a community college.
This summer, Merced College will dedicate a new Trident Monument, a lasting tribute to the generations of students, employees, alumni, and supporters who have shaped this institution. Through engraved plaques and commemorative benches, alumni and friends have the opportunity to become a permanent part of that legacy.
Whether you choose to honor your graduation year, recognize a loved one, celebrate your family, or simply show your Blue Devil pride, your legacy can become part of a place where future students will gather, celebrate milestones, and create memories of their own.
My grandfather’s generation gave Merced County a college.
Our generation has the privilege of ensuring that legacy continues.
One engraved name, one student, one act of generosity at a time.
Because that’s what Merced College has always been about — people believing in people, and people investing in the next generation.
Since 1962, we’ve been here.
So others can get there.
Jill Cunningham is Vice President of External Relations at Merced College and Executive Director of the Merced College Foundation. To learn more about the Alumni Trident project, visit mccd.edu/alumnitrident.
