OAKLAND, CA – On Friday, May 9, 2025, the Peralta Community College District hosted its second annual district-wide Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Graduation Celebration, bringing together students, families, faculty, and staff from Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, Laney College, and Merritt College to honor the achievements of the graduating class of 2025.
Merritt College Hosts First-Ever Sneaker Ball
Merritt College closed out April and capped off California Community Colleges Black Student Success Week (BSSW) with our first-ever Sneaker Ball! The purpose of BSSW is to emphasize how institutions are supporting underserved students (including but not limited to Black and African American students), to ensure their success in community colleges and beyond.
On Thursday, May 1, 2025, on a glorious spring day in Oakland, we kicked off “Smile Season” and the month-long celebration of student successes throughout the district. Following the tradition of Libations by Kimm Blackwell, Chancellor Dr. Tammeil Gilkerson warmly welcomed attendees to the Peralta Association of African American Affairs (PAAAA) Scholarship Awardee Reception, expressing her joy in celebrating the extraordinary student scholars. She began by acknowledging and thanking the PAAAA Scholarship Committee for their dedication in making the event possible.
A dedicated group of faculty representatives from the Peralta Community College District recently joined colleagues from across the state at the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) 2025 Spring Plenary Session.
by Vila Phetsilasack, Merritt College Class of 2025 Graduate
This is a story of resilience, a refusal to let someone else’s prophecy become my reality.
I came to the U.S. at 13 years old, stepping into a life that was supposed to offer opportunity. But early on, someone said, "Raising someone else’s child is a bad idea." That wasn’t just a comment, it became a curse they tried to fulfill. Every barrier thrown at me felt like it was placed there to prove them right.
At the April 8th Board of Trustees meeting, Peralta Community College District Chancellor Dr. Tammeil Gilkerson proudly recognized five exceptional classified professionals as the 2025 Classified Employees of the Year. These individuals, representing Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, Laney College, Merritt College, and the District Service Center, were celebrated for their unwavering dedication, professionalism, and profound impact on our district and the wider community.
The Peralta Community College District recently celebrated its third Classified Professional Symposium of the school year, themed “Rethinking Our Possibilities.” The event benefited from beautiful weather, both within the welcoming Laney Student Center and in the surrounding outdoor spaces.
Recently, both the Laney College and Merritt College Child Care Centers were reviewed by the Oakland Head Start Program. Both centers exceeded expectations and received glowing reviews! The reviewer even commented, “A few families did not know why I was there but made a point to let me know their child loves their teachers and I was lucky to be observing the best classroom at the school."
Dr. Tammeil Gilkerson, Chancellor of the Peralta Community College District, highlighted the celebration of Women's History Month across the district's colleges in her report to the Board of Trustees on April 8th. Following her March 8th report, which concluded with a video celebrating the women leading the Milvia Street construction project at Berkeley City College, the Chancellor noted that the recognition of women's contributions continued throughout March with various events.
