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Southwestern College News

 
 SWC Paramedic student, Ernest Sauceda smiling in front of the SWC Student Union in uniform.

From Performer to Paramedic: One Student’s Journey

By: Stephanie Kingston

For years, Ernest Sauceda performed on some of the world’s most recognizable stages.

He played classical violin with renowned mariachi groups, entertained guests aboard Disney Cruise Line ships, performed for audiences at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and Universal Studios Japan. He even spent a year in Saudi Arabia with Cirque du Soleil (...)

Southwestern College student and U.S. Men's National Kickboxing athlete, Nick Aguilar posed in the Jaguar Aquatics, Wellness, & Sports (JAWS).

Pursuing Greatness, One Class At A Time

By: Stephanie Kingston

Most Southwestern College students spend their days moving between lectures, study sessions, and part-time jobs.

Victor Aguilar spends his time preparing to represent the United States (...)

Headshot of SWC Student Trustee, Orlando Vicente-Lazo.

A New Voice for Students: Orlando Vicente-Lazo Joins Governing Board 

By: Stephanie Kingston

For newly elected Student Trustee Orlando Vicente-Lazo, Southwestern College is more than a place to earn a degree. It's the community that helped him find direction, belonging, and a path toward his future (...)

Student Voices

 
SWC Baja Society of Automotive Engineers club members, Santiago Salgado, Javier Jorquera Estero, Troy Schalge (top row), Emilio Vasquez, Adrian Contreras, and Omar Chiroque (bottom row), at the 2026 SAE Competition.

From Building A Buggy to Building A Future

By: Javier Jorquera Estero

While walking to calculus class in the fall of 2025, I noticed a poster for the Southwestern College Baja Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Club. While I was not familiar with Baja racing, I could tell it was related to engineering and motorsports, two things I have been passionate about since I was a child. The club stayed on my mind for months (...)

Group photo at the first San Diego Region 10 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Student Research Summit.

Part Asian, Fully Me: Navigating My Mixed Asian American Identity at Southwestern College

By: Troy Andrew Bash and Tristan James Kately

On May 1, 2026, Southwestern College (SWC) hosted the first San Diego Region 10 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Student Research Summit with students from City of College of San Diego, Mesa College, and Miramar College. Our keynote speaker, Malaka Gharib, gave us insight on the struggles of someone who is mixed-race (...)

Southwestern College attending the "Connecting Our Canoes" conference, by the Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Educators Collective. Shown Kody Ignacio, Professor Joseph Allen Ruanto-Ramirez, Ella Concepcion, Ale’a Tufaga, Emily-Joy LeonGuerrero, Adrian Moster, Ko Inouye, and Luke M. Schwenke (left to right).

Connecting Our Canoes: Finding Belonging, Visibility, and Purpose in Higher Education

By: Ella Concepcion, Emily-Joy LeonGuerrero, Adrian Moster, Luke M. Schwenke, and Ale’a Tufaga

For many Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) students, higher education can feel isolating. NHPI representation is limited, cultural understanding is often overlooked, and belonging can feel distant. Thanks to funding by the Southwestern College (SWC) Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) (...)