Mercer New Director of Student Activities and Athletics at the College

Friday, July 19, 2013

Cerro Coso Community College welcomes John Mercer on board as the college's new Director of Student Activities and Athletics. Only officially on the job a few weeks, Mercer already has great ideas for creating sustainable positive change in student activities and athletics at Cerro Coso.

His goal is to create an energetic and welcoming atmosphere that attracts students and the community to actively participate in the activities at the college. "Many people think that student activities and athletics are two separate jobs," said Mercer. "I think the two are very much the same, as both seek to engage students in the college and community and enrich the college experience."

Mercer loves interacting with students on a daily basis, and says "these are life-changing years for students and an incredible opportunity to impact lives in positive ways." He plans to help college students reach beyond the classroom and playing field to assume leadership roles on campus and in the community.

Originally from La Crescenta, Mercer previously served as Athletic Director at Blair High School in Pasadena and Assistant Athletic Director at Parkland College in Illinois.

An athlete himself, he is always physically active, in a variety of ways, and he is passionate about the promotion of physical activity across the lifespan. He participates in triathlons, is an avid Ultimate Frisbee player, and enjoys surfing and golf. Mercer considers big wave surfing the Banzai Pipeline in Oahu one of the craziest thing he has ever done. In his spare time he also enjoys gourmet cooking and playing the guitar.

His fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm for the future of student activities and intercollegiate athletics at the college. "I expect we will see some new and interesting strategies that create meaningful interactions around campus," stated Heather Ostash, Vice President of Students.

Mercer earned a Masters in Kinesiology from California State University Northridge and is currently working on his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.

An advocate for change, Mercer's future plans include adding a Cross Country team in Mammoth. Currently, he is actively recruiting new athletes for both the soccer and baseball teams at Cerro Coso. "I encourage anyone interested in playing soccer and baseball at the college to personally give me a call at 760-384-6353," he concluded.