Community Social Services Department Street Scholars Program Merritt College 12500 Campus Dr. Oakland 510-434-3700 merritt.edu
May 14, 2026
To whom it may concern:
Good afternoon, my name is Ruben Collins and I am a peer mentor with Street Scholars as well as the Street Scholar Student club. Since coming to Merritt and Street Scholars, the mentors before me and current peer mentors have helped show me my true potential on what I can do if I just try.
Here at Street Scholars, we help a lot of “return to community students” enroll in our program as well as classes. Street Scholars is a safe place for students to come to to get help with homework, maybe grab a sandwich if they are hungry or a cup of coffee. Without Street Scholars I don’t think I would have made it through all my semesters of COSER. I needed the help of study groups and so did a lot of students.
It takes a lot of time and effort to work with our community and we need funding to be able to continue with our programs. Future students would definitely benefit from Street Scholars by just being here, by showing up and being under a mentor’s wing. Then, they can also turn around and help someone else, and pay it forward like what was done for us. There are a lot of special programs that help like SAS, therapy at the Wellness Center, EOPS, NextUp and more, not just Street Scholars.
I am firmly against the merger because funding for a lot of student services could be lost, including ours, which means there will be people who won’t be able to get help. Students need Student Services and special programs to succeed and complete college - even enrolling is hard and complicated. Please think about the special programs and the people who need help the most. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ruben Collins
Ruben Collins Street Scholars Peer Mentor
30004244@cc.peralta.edu or StreetScholars@peralta.edu
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From the petition
Jessica Cruz
As a mental health professional at Peralta, it’s crucial that our resources remain student centered and benefit our students. Merging the schools would only take crucial resources away from students and impacts their ability to get support and move on to a better future. No on the merge!
Mars Miller
These schools matter!
Kayla Pelletier
As a proud graduate of Merritt College and former Bioscience Student Government Vice President, I strongly oppose combining Merritt College with Laney College. Merritt has a unique identity and provides a supportive, student-centered environment where individuals are truly valued. Programs such as the Montessori program for student parents have been life-changing for many families. Merritt's science programs, including the microscopy and bioscience initiatives, provide exceptional educational opportunities and community engagement through youth mentorship and bioscience festivals. Merritt also fosters leadership through active student government involvement. Its distinctive programs, culture, and commitment to students deserve to remain independent and continue serving the community.