SWC News Center

Crossing Dreams, Not Just Borders

By: Stephanie Kingston- November 6, 2025

For years, Valeria Porraz started her mornings in the long line of cars heading north from Tijuana, inching toward the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Those early mornings weren’t just part of her routine, they were part of her dream.

Back then, Valeria carried more than a backpack across the border. She also carried her family’s hopes and an unshakable belief that education could build bridges between two worlds.  Her parents always wanted her to have access to opportunities beyond what was possible in Mexico. “They wanted me to dream bigger,” she says.

Today, that dream has taken root on Southwestern College’s campus in Chula Vista, where Valeria now lives and studies. She’s pursuing her degree through ASU Local at Southwestern College, located inside the University Center. The center is a space designed to make higher education accessible, flexible, and close to home.

Through ASU Local’s hybrid model, Valeria takes ASU courses online while meeting weekly in person with a success coach at the University Center. The mix of personal guidance and flexibility allows her to balance work, studies and life. 

Valeria, who began her college journey studying Business Administration at Southwestern College, is now majoring in Applied Business & Technology. Her long-term goal is to earn a master’s degree from San Diego State University and eventually return to Southwestern College as a business professor.

“It would be a full circle,” she says. “I started here as a student crossing the border. Now, I want to come back to help other students realize they can do it too.”

For Valeria, being a binational student offers a unique perspective. “You live between two cultures, you speak two languages, and you learn to adapt. It makes you hardworking, responsible, and compassionate.”

But it was not always easy. Long hours in traffic, early mornings, and late nights take their toll. “Sometimes I was exhausted. Sometimes I felt alone,” she admits. “But then I reminded myself why I started. Every sacrifice is part of something bigger.”

Valeria credits much of her success to the understanding and dedication of her professors. She highlights Mr. Gonzales, a chemistry professor at Southwestern College, whose compassion makes a difference. “If you don’t understand a question in English, he’ll explain it in Spanish,” she says. “He’s respectful, patient and he gets what it means to be a binational student.” 

Valeria’s story is one of perseverance, family, and faith in the future. When asked what advice she’d give other binational students, her message is simple but powerful: “Your hard work, your time invested, it’s going to be worth it. You’ll look back and be so proud of yourself. Never ever give up. You got this.”

For Southwestern College, students like Valeria are living proof that education truly transcends borders. As Valeria walks across campus, she represents more than just her own journey, she symbolizes the bridge between two nations, two cultures, and one shared dream of a brighter future.