Desiree Lopez

UC Merced is highlighting incoming first-year students for fall 2022 — a dynamic, diverse and accomplished cohort of new Bobcats.

Edwin Casillas chose UC Merced for many reasons, he said. He likes the “little city” feel of the campus. He is drawn to the “friendly student environment.” And he loves soccer.

“I had the honor and privilege of being able to practice with the men’s soccer team during a training,” the graduating Sonora High School senior said, “and during that time, all the players and coaches were so welcoming, I felt at home.”

Since 2008, University Friends Circle (UFC) has shown its support to UC Merced students through programs that promote community interaction.

One way UFC has been a critical advocate of the campus is by raising funds each year for UC Merced students and organizations through an endowed scholarship and Student Impact Funds.

After a selection process that included more than 40 individual applicants, six students were awarded the Distinguished Volunteer Scholarship for this year. In addition, two student groups received the Community Service Organization award.

For the first time, UC Merced’s Political Science and Interdisciplinary Humanities (history discipline) graduate groups made national rankings.

US News & World Report’s annual rankings, released today, also highlighted the campus’s growing School of Engineering, as most of its programs climbed the charts.