To say former Merced College President Ben Duran came from humble beginnings on his journey to becoming one of the San Joaquin Valley’s top educators is an understatement.
The son of migrant farmworkers in Le Grand, Duran described how he and his family first arrived in Merced County. “Literally, this is where our car broke down,” Duran, 76, joked as laughter rose from the audience at the annual State of the College event. “So for migrant families, the car is so essential.”
Duran, who served as Merced College president from 1998 to 2012 and worked at the school for 20 years as a senior administrator, was honored with the institution’s President’s Medallion Award.
Also receiving the award was his wife RoseMary Parga Duran, 69, who led the Merced City School District as superintendent for more than a decade, retiring in 2019.
Thursday’s ceremony was held on the top floor of Merced College’s downtown Business Resource Center parking garage.
During his remarks, Ben Duran explained how as a child, his parents instilled a focus on education. They and other adult farm workers attended night college classes at Planada Elementary School.
“When they would be at the kitchen table doing their homework, literally doing homework for a college class they would attend the next day – and this was like nine or 10 o’clock (at night) – and they were going to get up at four or five o’clock in the morning and go to work, it was pretty impactful,” Duran said.
Duran said his mother and some of her friends ultimately achieved certificates in child development and played a role in opening one of the nation’s first Head Start programs. They later testified to Congress about the value of child development.
“That was huge,” Duran said.
As an additional honor, the college’s Business Resource Center now carries Ben Duran’s name. At the close of Thursday’s event, the audience chanted a countdown, as workers dropped the veil from the top of the building, revealing the words: Dr. Benjamin T. Duran Business Resource Center.
Duran’s 14-year tenure as president saw significant enrollment growth and expansion of infrastructure for the college.
Today, he is executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, collaborating with leaders from community colleges and universities to address issues facing higher education in the Central Valley.
Chris Vitelli, Merced College’s current president, said Duran has been “so instrumental” in setting the foundation that thousands of students benefit from every year.
Vitelli mentioned he was also hired by Duran years ago, saying he contributed to the success of so many employees at the college.
“Ben was not only a leader and pioneer here in our local community, but throughout the state and even the country, inspiring people to give the community colleges the attention they deserve for serving their communities,” Vitelli said.
“He has served as an advocate for workforce and economic development. And probably the most special part about Ben is that he is an inspiration for students like him, who came from very humble beginnings and pursued education for a better future. And he shared that story and inspired so many because of that.”
College officials said the Durans recently made a “substantial” gift to the school to support students who experience challenges during their academic journey.
