A Brand-New Degree and a Stellar Job Offer to Accompany it

UC Merced prides itself on its high social mobility ranking (No. 3 among public schools in the country, according to the Wall Street Journal). Social mobility is defined as the ability to move between socioeconomic tiers.

But what does that mean, really?

Well, you might look to Eduardo Savala Alvarez, who recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in civil and environmental engineering.

The son of a father who works as a chef and a mother who is a homemaker, Savala Alvarez graduated from Ceres High School. He arrived at UC Merced with "determination, humility and a dream of building a better future for his family," Professor Siddaiah Yarra said.

"Like many students from California's Central Valley, he understood the value of hard work long before stepping into a college classroom," Yarra said. "Through faculty mentorship, hands-on engineering education, industry engagement and student leadership opportunities, Eduardo transformed that dream into reality."

Before he graduated, Savala Alvarez received three job offers, with an average starting salary of $92,000 per year and an average signing bonus of $4,300. He ultimately accepted an offer from Clark Construction, where he will serve as a project engineer.

He credited his experience at UC Merced with preparing him for a successful career in engineering.

"Since campus has that small-school environment, I was able to go to my academic advisor when needed and was helped on the spot," Savala Alvarez said. "I was also able to go to my professors' offices whenever I needed help, not just to talk about school but also to be given advice either on my career or personal life."

He helped start the American Society of Civil Engineers Student Chapter at UC Merced and served on the board as project manager for two years.

"This position as well as the knowledge from the civil and environmental engineering classes that UC Merced has to offer ultimately helped me in securing a full-time job after graduation and prepared me for the next steps in my career," he said. "Time management, leadership, public speaking and multitasking are just some of the skills that I learned throughout my time at UC Merced."

For Savala Alvarez and his family, his recent achievement represented far more than a job offer, Yarra said. It symbolized generational progress, opportunity and the transformative power of education. His journey demonstrates how the civil and environmental engineering department at UC Merced is helping Central Valley students move toward meaningful careers, financial stability and long term social and economic mobility.

"Eduardo's story is one of many examples showing how investment in education can empower students from Central Valley to become engineers, leaders and contributors to the communities they proudly call home," Yarra said.

Savala Alvarez, who commuted from his Modesto home all four years of college, advised future students to take advantage of campus resources that range from free snacks and tutoring to activities and clubs.

"UC Merced is a place where anyone can leave their mark and write their story just like me."