Immigrant Student From the Philippines Finds Footing in Science at Southwestern College

Krystal Role's route to Southwestern College in Chula Vista started on an island roughly a thousand miles away. She grew up in Mindanao, the southernmost and second-largest island in the Philippines, where she was raised by her mother and stepfather and encouraged to look for greater opportunity beyond the islands.

About two and a half years ago, Role immigrated to the United States on her own, reuniting with a father she was meeting for the first time. She had studied English in the Philippines, but conversational English and the rhythms of American college life were new to her. She knew no one, but she was set on becoming a scientist. For six months she researched colleges while learning to live in a new country.

The next step came while she was working at a Raising Cane's in Imperial Beach, her first job alongside people her own age. College came up often in conversation, and Southwestern College ads began showing up in her social media feed. "The timing felt perfect," Role said.

The ads appeared in time for her to register before Spring 2024 classes started. After visiting the Chula Vista campus, she enrolled in general education courses without difficulty. Welcoming and encouraging professors, she said, helped her believe she belonged in higher education.

Her focus sharpened after she learned that her grandfather was seriously ill with cancer. She returned to the Philippines for two weeks to be with him in his final days and to attend his funeral. "I realized hope isn't enough when you're dealing with cancer," she said. "I want to give people more than hope. I want to give them answers."

Role is now a Molecular and Cellular Biology major concentrating on biomedicine and biochemistry, with oncology as her goal. She hopes to earn both an MD and a PhD so she can combine research with patient care. Last summer she was one of only 14 students nationwide chosen for an internship at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which is affiliated with UC San Diego. In the lab, she studied enzymes and their role in improving cancer medications.

For the Fall 2025 term, she applied for Southwestern College Foundation scholarships and received four. The money covered books, lab materials and bookstore costs, allowing her to concentrate on classes and research instead of searching for work to cover expenses. The awards also mattered to her personally. "It means my story mattered to someone," she said. "It means I was heard. Someone believes in me. It is very validating."

She also works with the SDSU Research Foundation at the Naval Information Warfare Center, doing DNA extraction research that fits her academic path. Role is on track to graduate from Southwestern College in Spring 2026 and plans to reapply to UC San Diego. She has already faced a setback: a UCSD Regents scholarship was rescinded in August 2025 because of two missing classes. "When things get hard, I just work harder," she said. "That's how I was raised."

Away from campus and the lab, Role volunteers at Surfrider beach cleanups, which keeps her connected to the ocean that shaped her childhood. She urges other students to build community where they can. "Relating is everything," she said. "There are people here who care and want to help." For the college, her story shows how Foundation scholarships can support a student's resilience and ambitions.