Advancing Black Student Success: Merritt College's Partnership with CSU and Plans for a Center for Black Student Success

Following through on Merritt College’s commitment to Black student success in our Educational Master Plan, VPI Lisa Cook and I participated in CSU’s Second Annual Juneteenth Symposium, hosted by Sacramento State on June 13-14. This was an opportunity to connect Merritt with the inspiring work within the CSU system to advance Black student success by centering the African American educational experience.

Merritt Partners with Sacramento State's Black Honors College

Merritt College has entered into a partnership with Sacramento State University to create a pipeline to their Black Honors College! This educational opportunity is designed for students who are interested in Black history, life, culture, and contributions.

On Thursday, May 23, Chancellor Tammeil Gilkerson met with community leaders from the Oakland Rotary No. 3 and the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club. Also in attendance were Trustee Bill Withrow – who also serves as Lake Merritt Breakfast Club Treasurer – and Lake Merritt Breakfast Club Co-President Lisa Hire, who invited Chancellor Gilkerson to speak.

The Peralta Community College District Children's Centers (located at Laney College & Merritt College) are currently recruiting and enrolling new families with children ages 2.9 to 5 years. The centers provide free, low-cost, and full-fee childcare. Visit our website at https://www.peralta.edu/admissions/student-resources/child-care or scan the QR code in the flyer below to apply.

Merritt College Cultural Graduations

This Season of Celebration at Merritt College has been nothing short of amazing. After holding the inaugural District AAPI graduation earlier in the month, we hosted the Peralta Raíces Latinx Graduation on Thursday, May 17th. The ceremonial nature of the event was quite powerful, and it was so heartening to see so many families there to support our students (especially our Merritt College Puentistas)!

On May 3, Peralta's first graduation event for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders was held at Merritt College. The student center was packed with graduating students, and performances included a dragon dance, drums, and traditional music from the Au Co Vietnamese Cultural Center’s Su Viet Ensemble.

Merritt Hosts Career Opportunity Events

Last week, Merritt College hosted two amazing events focused on career education and opportunities for our students. On Wednesday, May 1, we co-sponsored the Merritt College Job and Career Fair with Insight Housing (a non-profit organization committed to ensuring supportive, equitable, and sustainable housing solutions).

Congratulations to Program Director Ben Nelson, faculty members Elizabeth Boegel and Brad Balukjian, and the entire Merritt College Natural History and Sustainability program, who recently received recognition from the U.S. Congress and a John Muir Award for Environmental Education Advocacy.

On Thursday, March 28th, Peralta’s first-ever Professional Development Day held exclusively for Classified Professionals was hosted by College of Alameda. The day included speeches from the Presidents, raffles for gifts, a powerful keynote on the importance of self-care for those who are responsible for helping others by Dr. Dawn Moultrie, and workshops on retirement planning with CalPERS and Understanding Boundaries to protect students and employees by ASCIP, Peralta's insurance provider. Attendees also enjoyed delicious tacos and dancing, too!