Bobcat Looks to Leave His Mark at 'Freshly Made' UC Merced

Editor's note:This is part of a series of profilesabout new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2024 semester.

Jesus Silva graduated from Central Valley High School in Ceres after being named the school's Central California Conference male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. "I had no idea I was going to win," Silva told the Ceres Courier. "My athletic director (Greg Magni) told me. I think it's pretty cool. It's an incentive to do your best in the class and on the field."

Silva, a goalkeeper on the soccer team, led the Hawks to a league championship and the quarterfinals of section playoffs while maintaining a GPA of 4.05. He will be leaving the soccer field to focus on being a fulltime student, with hopes of pursuing a career in dentistry.

Where I come from: Born in Modesto and have lived all my life in Ceres. I was born into a family of five; my parents come from Mexico.

What I've done: Seal of Biliteracy, Salutatorian Class of 2024, CVHS Scholar Athlete, receiving chancellor's scholarship from UC Merced

Why are you excited about coming to UC Merced? Starting fresh basically at a pretty freshly made school. I'm hoping to leave an impact on any students there or on the school in general.

Academic and personal goals: I want to continue with a good GPA throughout all semesters, graduate as a chemistry major and hopefully enter dental school or enter PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) program.

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Favorite food: It's a tossup between burritos or a good bacon cheeseburger.

You can keep only three apps on your phone. What are they? iMessage (or any messaging app to message whether it's business related, emergency or just texting), Phone (similar to messaging except it a lot faster), TikTok (for entertainment)

It's karaoke night. What's your go-to song? Definitely "We Are Young" by fun. It's a classic for my generation.

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Quotable: "For a three-day weekend I'd definitely liked to go to Venice, Italy, because it's sinking due to the terrain it's built on, so I think it would be cool to visit there before it does end up completely sinking."