Merced College is vital to the community. Support Measure J to help college improve

If you were raised in Merced County and are making your home here, it is a good bet that you or someone in your family attended Merced College.

Since its founding in 1962, Merced College has been essential to the social and economic well-being of the county. My friends and I enrolled at Merced College in 1966, after graduating from Le Grand High School. Hundreds of other graduates from the other high schools in the county did the same that year. My mother and her friends changed their lives from being farm workers to becoming child development teachers at Merced College. Since its founding, for thousands of area residents, Merced College has been the portal to the rest of their lives.

It is impossible to walk into a business without finding Merced College graduates serving you. Most nurses, police and fire men and women in our communities took their training and degrees at Merced College. Teachers in our schools and pre-schools who care for our children daily began their journeys to their profession at Merced College.

Merced College’s agricultural program is highly touted in the rest of the state, as is its transfer rate to four-year universities for those students wishing to continue their educations.

Our college is not only an integral part of our community, but will continue to be so for decades to come. It is undeniable that our wives, husbands, children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews will enjoy better lives because of the presence of our community college.

That’s why I support Measure J. This bond will result in the construction of new buildings to prepare the next generation of workers for the new economy and renovate existing facilities that are in serious need of updating to continue to serve students.

Merced County residents have always been supportive of education bonds that have appeared on their ballots over the years. It is one of the many things that makes me proud to be a Merced resident. I urge you to continue to support education in our county and ask you to ask your family and friends to join you to vote yes on Measure J.