MERCED, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – This year marks 20 years since the first bobcats stepped onto UC Merced’s campus.

“Sep. 5, 2005, the very first Bobcats 875 students, undergrad graduate transfers began here. And so we’re just about 9000 students and a much larger population,” Juan Sanchez Munoz, the chancellor of UC Merced, said.

Munoz says the future of the university is looking bright, with projects expected to be completed by the fall of 2026.

“We’re building a number of facilities for new academic programs, including medical education and training, new dormitories, new classroom buildings,” Munoz said.

Students can expect a new era for Bobcat Athletics.

“We were elevated to NCAA Division Two, and our first competition will be Friday, Sept. 5, Women’s Soccer. You’re all welcome to come,” Munoz said.

It’s the first day of senior year for Gianluka Santacruz. He says he is excited to see what the year holds, and his advice for freshmen is to get involved.

“Just put yourself out there, you know, go to like clubs, you know, just figure out what kind of clubs we have on campus and then just try to join which one you think you fit in,” Santacruz said.

Director of Student Involvement Enrique Guzman says there are plenty of opportunities for students to make connections.

“We have the different career fairs and involvement fairs where our students get the opportunity to look at all the different 257 organizations that we have on campus to see how they can get involved,” Guzman said.

UC Merced Police want students to have a fun school year while also staying safe with the new Bobcat Safety Resource app.

“It has a ton of resources from everything from the resources the police department provides from our psychological services, our CAPS office, our care office,” UC Merced Police Chief Chou Her said.