Southwestern College To Hold Binational Graduation Ceremony In Tijuana

SAN DIEGO, CA — Southwestern College will hold its first binational graduation ceremony Thursday in Tijuana, Mexico, so students can celebrate with friends and family across the border.

The event at Preparatoria Federal Lazaro Cardenas is open to all students who were eligible to participate in the graduation ceremony held May 26 at Southwestern College's main campus in Chula Vista. Southwestern College is the only public institution of higher education in southern San Diego County and is located 8 miles near the California-Mexico border.

Elizabeth Ortega, who lives in Tijuana and crossed the border to attend Southwestern College over the past few years, is the first in her family to graduate from college. She is headed to San Diego State University to become a social worker.

"My husband and children couldn't attend the ceremony in San Diego, so having a special event in Tijuana is a pretty big deal for me," she told Patch. "All that hard work to build a better future paid off, and now I get to celebrate with my family."

The binational graduation ceremony reflects Southwestern College's ongoing efforts to collaborate and share educational experiences between the U.S. and Mexico. In April 2022, the college signed an agreement with the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California to explore study-abroad programs and give students at that university the opportunity to attend school while paying in-state tuition.

School officials hope that more educational opportunities in San Diego could lead to more students enrolling in classes, getting degrees or obtaining skilled jobs to strengthen the local economy.

"This is such a great opportunity to celebrate with the family and friends who supported us the whole way," graduate Claudia Perez-Favela told Patch. She plans to attend SDSU to study criminal justice. "It's going to be an important day for so many people who cross the border every day to go to school."