CHULA VISTA, Calif. — Southwestern College is growing, and trying to change a stigma it’s been associated with for generations. Many people refer to Southwestern College as the "13th grade."
In other words, an extension of high school.
President and Superintendent Dr. Mark Sanchez told CBS 8 there's a growing list of opportunities they offer, including for their Latino students who make up the majority of people who attend the school.
"It's the only post-secondary institution in South County," said Sanchez.
Sanchez says he’s proud of where he works, which also happens to be the school he once attended before launching his career in education.
“I was accepted into San Diego State and UC Santa Barbara just out of high school and I chose the community college route because it just felt like a more natural progression for me," said Sanchez.
Much has changed since then.
Founded in 1961, Southwestern College now has four campuses located in Chula Vista, Otay Mesa, San Ysidro and National City.
CBS 8 spoke with Sanchez in Chula Vista, where new buildings have recently been unveiled and more are under construction.
“All of our buildings have gone through an amazing transformation,” said Sanchez.
It's the kind of growth both in and out of the classroom that Sanchez wants people to see, especially given the 13th grade stigma that has followed Southwestern College for years.
“That same mindset has been there since I was a student. How you begin to demystify that is through your programming as a college and be able to accelerate a student’s pathway to the goals they have and the visions they have for their life,” said Sanchez.
Sanchez says whatever it is you want to do, there's likely a class here for it.
You can even earn your bachelor's degree through partnerships with National University, San Diego State and Point Loma Nazarene.
Sanchez told CBS 8 that there are a lot of success stories that have come out of Southwestern College, everything from students transferring to Ivy League schools to landing their dream jobs.
“Our student story is so broad and diverse,” said Sanchez.
That includes many Latino students, who make up about 70% of the 19,000 students who go here.
Among those students is Ana Aguilera.
“It's definitely different from high school,” said Aguilera.
Born in Tijuana and raised in the South Bay, Aguilera is the first person in her family to attend college.
Next year, she's looking to transfer to a UC school, something she never considered until coming to Southwestern College.
"I never planned to transfer before, but like when I got to southwestern college and I saw the opportunities we as students have, it changed my mind," said Aguilera.
Aguilera says for her and so many other first-generation Latino students, getting to and through college is intimidating, in part because they don't have someone in their family who can show them how.
That's where Puente comes in.
Puente, which means bridge, is a program offered at Southwestern and other community colleges throughout California that supports Latino students by helping them through that process.
“A lot of students don't know where to go, don't know what questions to ask so it's part of one of the barriers Latino students face, so we try to bridge that gap to support our students,” said Daniel Diaz, a counselor and Puente coordinator.
Part of bridging that gap includes ensuring honoring their backgrounds is a part of their education.
Southwestern College offers several courses dedicated to Hispanic history and culture.
It's a part of who they are as an institution. And something that will continue to grow with it in the coming years.
“There's something here for everyone and we really hope people take time to think about their future, having a vision for their future and how Southwestern College can be a part of it,” said Sanchez.
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