Since welcoming the inaugural class of undergraduate students in 2005, UC Merced has served as a beacon of opportunity, inspiration and possibility.
Even before the physical campus was completed, a small group of students confirmed their admittance to our wonderful campus, with a shared vision and understanding of what the university was and could eventually be. Now, nearly 18 years later, we recognize one of the first three graduates of UC Merced - Eve Delfín ’06, MA ’16 – to celebrate her journey and learn how she continues to give back to her alma mater.
FIRST.
As part of the incoming class of 2005, Eve was able to witness the evolution from a golf course to a campus. “It was an opportunity to be a part of history and to shape what and how the university would eventually be,” she recounts.
Despite the excitement surrounding a new campus, it became apparent early on that students were limited on what extracurricular activities were available outside of their class schedule. Through peer-to-peer connections, students were able to find common interests and developed clubs and organizations that reflected their passions and helped build a close community of support. Many of those organizations are still in existence today.
During her time as student, Eve served as a founding member for UC Merced's Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (M.E.Ch.A.) club, the Latino Students of UC Merced (LAS), and Ballet Folklórico de UC Merced. She is also proud to be one of the founding members who launched the first Chican@/Latin@ Commencement celebration featuring labor leader and civil rights activist, Dolores Huerta, as the keynote speaker. It was that same cohort of passionate Bobcats, later known as the Chican@/Latin@ Coalition (CLC), who emphasized the importance of representation in the Central Valley and advocated for Chican@ Studies and Ethnic Studies at UC Merced.
FURTHER.
After earning a B.A. in social and cognitive science, Eve remained connected to her alma mater serving as a member of the UC Merced Alumni Association (UCMAA) Board of Directors from 2012 to 2014. After connecting with a professor who believed in her and her study aspirations,
Eve decided to continue her educational journey at UC Merced by pursuing a master's degree in interdisciplinary humanities, which she earned in 2016.
“Professor Sean Malloy gave me the freedom to dive into my passion with research,” she fondly recalls, “I was able to use my B.A. in social and cognitive science with my love of art and social justice to form a study I was genuinely interested in and that I have found others are now using in their research as well.”
Eve has used her education and her experience at UC Merced in her professional career. Today, she is the Latino Student Achievement Specialist for the Oakland Unified School District. She advocates for educational and systemic conditions, culture, and competencies necessary to advance Latino student achievement within a full-service community school district. It's a role she thoroughly enjoys and hopes that she can share her knowledge, resources and experience with other students and alumni at UC Merced.
“[Those] are two milestones that I will always be proud of and I hope that the creation of a UC Merced Chicano Latino Association will continue the legacy and spirit of blazing a trail for the next generations to follow,” shared Eve.
FORWARD.
Through her time at UC Merced, Eve has created her own community of support fortified through the shared experiences of serving as pioneers.
“Those first years, we knew that history was being made and bonded around our experience at UC Merced,” she shared, “we go to each other's weddings, try to visit when we can, and keep in touch.”
Recognizing the importance of community, Eve has taken lead in working with the UCMAA Board and Office of Alumni Relations to establish the foundation for UC Merced's first cultural network, namely the first alumni affinity association – UC Merced Chicano/Latino Alumni Association (UCM CLAA). Through UCM CLAA, Eve hopes to build alumni support across generations, create a space to uplift and celebrate one's identity and heritage, and raise community success to further support the UC Merced community. To learn more about the UC Merced CLAA initiative, please complete the short interest survey linked below.
