2015 UC Merced At A Glance

ZACHARY CALABRESE Hometown: Sonora, Calif. PREVIOUS SCHOOL: Columbia College; graduated in 2010 with Associate of Arts degree and in 2013 with an Associate in Science degree

Major: Chemical sciences

Activities/Involvement: American Chemical Society Inter Collegiate Council representative, tutor for the Calvin Bright Success Center, tutor for STEM Resource Center

“I love UC Merced because not only are the staff members very nice, but so are the students. I also love it because in each of my courses I have learned valuable lessons about time management, reading, writing, grasping concepts, making professional relationships and relating concepts to real-life applications in mathematics and chemistry, such as rocket trajectories and/or synthesizing compounds that are useful for medicine, or calculating how long it takes the sun to evaporate a glass of water or how polymerization of nylon works, etc.”

Academic accolades: Dean’s List in spring 2014

Plans for after graduation: To begin working for a solar company, or participate in chemical research and continue to tutor on the side Service projects: As the lead academic support fellow for PALS (Peer Academic Learning Support) and DARTS (Degree Attainment for Returning Transfer Scholars Program), I help provide many services to students from all three schools at UC Merced.

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