San Diego Community College District

Mesa College’s Speech and Debate team turns critical thinking and into championships. Read the full story at bit.ly/mesadebate26

Critical thinking, confidence, and trophies are just some of the results produced by San Diego Mesa College's Speech and Debate team.

With a charter dating back to 1969, the team has made waves on the international stage in recent years — garnering five wins on the world stage, more than any two or four year college.

“It’s a fast and furious program that teaches students how to be confident, how to take critical feedback, and how to lose,” said Kim Perigo, who co-directs the Speech and Debate team with fellow professor Bryan Malinis. “Losing is an important part of winning — that’s what we always say.”

The Speech and Debate team serves about 25 students each semester with the support of three to four coaches. Team members come from a wide range of academic disciplines, including premed, prelaw, communication, and chemistry, and compete on national and international stages. Along the way, they develop abilities that support them in their careers and beyond, Perigo said.

Perigo knows firsthand the impact the program can have. She was a speech and debate team member herself.

“It was the greatest gift I gave myself as a student,” Perigo said. “Every advantage I’ve gotten in my life — everything of value — I can directly link to my time on the speech and debate team.”

Fall classes start August 24!

Whether you're earning a degree, transferring, or building job skills, SDCCD has a path for you. Enroll and register today. bit.ly/sdccdfall26

This fall at SDCCD:
- 400+ academic and career programs
- In-person, online, and hybrid classes
- Student support services
- Plus, exciting campus improvements are underway through Measure HH.

Financial Aid is available.

💙 Be. Belong. Become.

SDCCD saves taxpayers more than $27 million through bond refinancing - Read the full story at sdccd.edu/news

A refinancing of two SDCCD bonds will save San Diego taxpayers more than $27 million over the life of the bonds.

The refinancing reduced the district’s future debt service by approximately $27.2 million, representing 6.25% of the refunded bonds. The transaction refinanced about $353 million of outstanding bonds, allowing the district to lower borrowing costs without reducing funding available for construction, modernization, and other capital improvements approved by San Diego voters.

“San Diego voters placed their trust in the district when they approved Proposition N and Proposition S to improve educational facilities throughout our colleges," said Chancellor Gregory Smith. "We take that responsibility seriously. By refinancing this debt at more favorable terms, we are reducing the long-term cost to taxpayers while continuing to deliver the high-quality learning environments our students and communities expect.”

The refinanced bonds supported projects funded through Proposition S and Proposition N, which were used to modernize and build new labs and classrooms at the in the district’s four colleges – San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego Miramar College, and the San Diego College of Continuing Education.

Refinancing outstanding bonds when market conditions permit is a common financial management practice that can reduce repayment costs while preserving the public investment in these facilities, said Daniel Troy, Vice Chancellor of Finance and Business Services.

“This transaction reflects our ongoing commitment to prudent financial stewardship,” Troy said. “Our team continuously monitors opportunities in the municipal bond market to reduce borrowing costs whenever conditions are favorable. By acting strategically, we generated more than $27 million in savings for taxpayers without affecting the scope or schedule of any bond-funded projects.”

Image Description: Completed in 2014 as part of Proposition N, the Mesa College Math and Science Building is one of the largest academic buildings at a California Community College

Jesus Lopez's time at City College's media production program gave him skills he needed to navigate a successful career in broadcast media.

Journalism programs at San Diego City College and San Diego Mesa College are preparing students for careers in the ever-changing landscape of the media.

Hear more from our alumni at https://bit.ly/journo26

Philanthropist Roger Frey is paying it forward - bit.ly/rogerfrey26

After retiring as a vice president at JPMorgan Chase, where he worked around the clock and traveled the world analyzing myriad energy-related ventures, Roger Frey switched gears and devoted his financial acumen to nonprofit service he had little time for during his career.

He began volunteering with organizations such as Mama’s Kitchen, Special Delivery San Diego, and Uptown Community Service Center. His focus eventually turned to the San Diego Community College District after meeting with then-Vice Chancellor Lynn Neault, who introduced him to the San Diego Promise program.

He has since donated or pledged a total of more than $1.5 million to the tuition-free San Diego Promise Program and the recently established Ready2Work initiative, the latter of which ensures students completing their training for a healthcare career are no longer held back by costly licensing and testing fees. A $1-million commitment announced in fall 2025 marks the largest contribution of its kind in SDCCD history.

“The inability to pay for a licensing exam should not be an impediment to getting a job that you are eminently qualified for,” said Frey, emphasizing the benefit to the larger community. Licensing exams alone can amount to nearly $500 per person on average, with some paying more than twice that. By removing the financial barrier, students are more quickly able to enter their intended field.

Frey says that the vital role community colleges play in uplifting all students drives his philanthropy.

“There are far more students enrolled at community colleges than at four-year colleges and universities, yet community colleges receive only a fraction of the funding,” Frey said. “People assume a community college education is cost free, but even though tuition is sometimes waived, transportation isn’t free, housing isn’t free, books and various fees aren’t free. As a consequence, a large number of community college students, many of whom are struggling single parents or living in their car, are really being challenged financially.”

Read the full story: bit.ly/rogerfrey26

The 2026 fall semester will begin Monday, August 24 with new programs and construction projects at the SDCCD.

When classes resume more than 50,000 students at San Diego City, Mesa, Miramar, and Continuing Education colleges will find an expanded menu of classes, more student support programs, and a growing number of construction projects financed by the $3.5-billion, voter-approved Measure HH bond program.

Students can choose from thousands of online and in-person classes in more than 400 academic programs that lead to university transfer and/or good-paying careers. This includes high demand fields such as cybersecurity, fire science, welding, and many areas of health care. It also includes bachelor’s degrees at each of the district’s three credit colleges. In addition, the College of Continuing Education offers hundreds of free career training classes, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, citizenship classes, a High School Diploma and GED program, and more.

Enrollment has increased each year across the district since fall 2022. The fastest area of growth is dual enrollment, which allows high school students free access to college courses, which can be taken at a college campus or at their current high school.

During the coming academic year, the district anticipates completion of the first Measure HH project, a $65 million renovation of the historic, 275-seat theatre at the Educational Cultural Complex in the southeast San Diego neighborhood of Mountain View. More than a dozen other Measure HH construction projects will commence this year. Highlights include a modernized aviation training center at Miramar College, an eight-story, 797-bed student housing community at City College, and a dramatic overhaul of Mesa College's athletic facilities, with a new Aquatics Center to replace its 50-year-old pool.

Read the full story at https://bit.ly/sdccdfall26

Truth Matters – Journalism programs at San Diego City College San Diego Mesa College continue to prepare the next generation of reporters, broadcasters, and storytellers as alumni thrive in an evolving media landscape shaped by shrinking newsrooms and rapidly evolving digital media.
Hear from alumni who have built successful careers in journalism with what they learned through these hands-on programs. https://bit.ly/journo26