Each fourth grade class joins UC Merced mentors on a tour of campus.
The mentor program buses Junior Bobcats (mentees) from their elementary school to the campus to see what college life is like. Junior Bobcats get to experience a day in the life of a university student. The goal is for the fourth graders to recognize they can achieve their future goal of furthering their education beyond high school. Prior to each tour, Junior Bobcats write an essay about what they would like to become when they grow up. Trailblazer mentors make them a framed certificate to recognize that dream. At the conclusion of the campus tour, Junior Bobcats receive their certificate before boarding the school bus to go back to their elementary school. They also receive a bag filled with UC Merced Police branded items they can use at school. The tours help Junior Bobcats recognize they can become just like their mentors.
