The beginning of every semester is always worth celebrating, and this fall we’ll have several special events that will make this year even more glorious.
We’ll be welcoming back our students and employees to classrooms and offices throughout the district. While the number of face-to-face classes will be limited to about 25 percent of our available classes–the remainder will remain online–and many of our employees will work a hybrid schedule, it will be so exciting to see our campuses come back to life. Especially for me, as this will be the first time since I joined Southwestern that I will welcome students back.
Southwestern College will also be inviting our community back to campus as we dedicate our new Performing Arts Center and hear the vision I have created for this next phase of the college. There is still time to RSVP for the Wed. Aug. 18 by heading to our Eventbrite page: https://southwesterncollege.eventbrite.com.
If you’ve traveled along East H Street or Otay Lakes Road over the last two years, you have seen this magnificent building taking shape. It rivals the interior space and acoustics of any of San Diego’s finest performance venues. And it is all thanks to our generous South County residents who approved our Proposition Z general obligation bond in 2016.
The center has a seating capacity of 500 people in the main theater. There is also a more intimate 170-seat black box theater. Both theaters will be in full operation during the grand opening event. Those attending our event will be able to experience live performances by our students for the first time in many months. You will nestle into the main theater for the culminating experience of a yet-to-be performed piece from guest playwright Thelma Virata de Castro. Her piece will be the first formal performance by our students in the new venue in the fall.
The main theater will also serve as the venue for those in attendance to learn a little about the full-circle journey that brought me back to Southwestern College. You may recall that I graduated from Southwestern College, and never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine returning as the college president. I hope our students know if I can do it, they can too.
We hope you will join us to see the many changes occurring throughout Southwestern College.
In addition to the great expansion of our performing arts program, there are some exciting academic programs beginning this fall–and they will be free through our Continuing Education program.
Students enrolling in our Drone Technology and Applications program can gain the skills to be a drone pilot in just one semester–for free. Students enrolling in classes NC327 and NC328 can earn a certificate that will qualify them for the high-demand field of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), also known as drones.
Today, drones are being used in everything from surveying, environmental biology and real estate to helping first responders stay safe and solve crimes.
Students completing the certificate in the program then can advance their studies through our credit courses.
If working more one-on-one with patients is more of your style, we have a new optical technician program that students can complete in one semester–in the evening. The back-to-back classes run from August to October and then October to December this fall. Students completing the courses NC 311 and NC 312 can enter the field as an optician or optometric assistant.
We hope you’ll join us either through the grand opening or through free academic classes at www.swccd.edu/continuinged.
Dr. Mark Sanchez is superintendent/president of Southwestern College.
