By MARIBEL SOTO RAMIREZ
New Student Support Coordinator,
Merced College Los Banos Campus
I have the great pleasure to introduce myself as the New Student Support Coordinator for the Associated Students of Merced College (ASMC) at the Merced College Los Banos Campus.
I began my journey as an employee at Merced College in November of 2015, fresh out of San Jose State University, when I became the Assessment Technician for Los Banos Campus. Fast forward to today, I am still at the Los Banos Campus and excited for this new role.
Over the years I have had the opportunity to interact with thousands of new and returning students. When asked why I chose Merced College, my answer is that I was raised in Los Banos and did my first years as a student here.
I remember feeling so lost and overwhelmed by college life. I honestly just want to be who I needed when I was younger. I have had the opportunity to help and serve countless students, and if I can make a small difference in their life, I feel like I’m winning.
I currently live in Los Banos and am raising my family here with the help of my husband Dionni. I play piano at Holy Fire Ministries, a local community gathering that meets every Saturday. I am also an avid coffee drinker and enjoy traveling and reading.
My latest adventure was bringing my spouse from the Dominican Republic in September of 2023. We were separated for almost two and half years because of the pandemic and immigration.
The pandemic slowed everything down. Now, it feels like I can finally breathe and settle down. If we can overcome that, then we can overcome anything.
February is the month of love and friendship, and what a lovely story to read and be reminded of the song, “Baby ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no valley low enough, ain’t no river wide enough, to keep me from getting to you.”
