Merced Sun-Star 2018 20 under 40: Aaron Lee Hill

Age: 31

Occupation: Partner and Alliance Manager at Microsoft. Aaron is serving as a facilitator for the Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce Leadership Merced and was a graduate last year from the program.

Favorite quote or saying, why?

“Give thanks. Appreciate what you do have. The more we give thanks, the more we receive to be thankful for. Gratitude is the gift that always gives back. It’s a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates.” – Matthew McConaughey

When you can find time please listen to the commencement speech of Matthew McConaughey speaking to the graduating class of 2015 at Houston University - every time that I listen to the speech, it inspires change in my life.

Community or professional highlights:

My community involvement here in Merced began with some paint chips and paint brushes. My wife and I were walking around our neighborhood and noticed that the iconic 23rd Street Pool sign had been vandalized and it hadn’t been touched in months. After initially complaining about and falling back into the routine of inaction, Sara, my wife, challenged me to do something about it. Having been a passable student with a paintbrush in high school art, I took on the challenge. We chipped some paint, got it matched and set off to restore it to its former glory. It looked pretty great for only costing us two hours and $10. This small act was the moment that we decided to throw our all into the community and participate wherever we thought we could make a positive impact and have a blast while doing it.

Your life changed when:

I often say that I did not choose UC Merced, it chose me.

Having the opportunity to attend UC Merced the first year it opened was a real privilege. While it didn’t feel like it when I initially arrived because they were still rolling out sod in front of my dorm room, I soon came to know that this would be a special experience.

At that point in 2005, UC Merced was much smaller than it is now, and this gave us pioneer students opportunities to find leadership positions and start new organizations. I chose to help found a fraternity chapter, which gave me my first exposure to a large group of people from diverse backgrounds that reflected our student population. It was challenging. Leading a group of 18 to 21-year-old guys is a stressful experience, yet in spite of that, the differences of culture and economic backgrounds represented within our group was a glimpse into a world outside of what I knew growing up. The entire experience inspired personal growth and provided the lesson that it is much easier to judge folks rather than getting to know them, but the effort is always worth it.

What do you want people to know most about you?

My life has seen the greatest period of growth when I’ve invested myself in my immediate surroundings. It’s easy to get swept up in the national outrage of the week, but I’ve found that keeping a focus on the community I live in and the important relationships to be far more worthwhile and satisfying. Merced is home to incredibly driven people who want to be a force for change in the community. If there is any message that I can convey to people it’s this one: get involved! This can be on your neighborhood block, at your church, your children’s school, or any other type of social organization. Make yourself available to opportunities that have yet to present themselves and amazing things will happen.

What do you like most about living here?

Merced is one of the few places left in California where the American Dream is achievable. Housing is more affordable here than many areas in through state, which allowed us the opportunity of homeownership. In lieu of buying new, we decided to set our roots down in ‘Spaghetti Acres,’ and purchased a 1950s American Bungalow. True to the spirit of Merced, we have incredible neighbors, we’ve put in some sweat equity, and we love our community.

Why is community involvement important?

The more you give, the more you get back. It’s biological. You literally get a rush of dopamine when you do something altruistic. It can be as simple as complimenting someone for something they did well, creating a relationship with your neighbors or getting involved in whatever capacity you can in this stage in life. If you have a establish a culture of giving, positive-reinforcement and reciprocity in our community, there is nothing that can hold us back.

This story was originally published October 4, 2018 at 4:00 AM.