By Stephanie Kingston /SWC
Krystal Role’s path to Southwestern College didn’t begin with a college tour or in an admission counselor’s office. It began one thousand miles away on an island.
Raised in Mindanao, the southernmost and second-largest island in the Philippines, Krystal grew up surrounded by water, fresh air, and curiosity. Raised by her mother and stepfather, she was encouraged to leave the islands one day and seek greater opportunity. Krystal carried that hope with her when she immigrated to the United States two and a half years ago – alone, newly reunited with a father she was meeting for the first time, and determined to become a scientist.
English was taught to her in the Philippines but conversational English and American college life were not. She knew no one. What she did know was that she wanted to be a scientist and that education was the way forward. For six months, Role researched college options while learning how to navigate a new country.
That navigation took an unexpected turn while working at Raising Cane’s in Imperial Beach. It was her first job surrounded by people her own age, and college was often a topic of conversation. Almost as if on cue, Southwestern College ads began appearing in her social media feed.
“The timing felt perfect,” Role said.
The ads appeared just in time to register before Spring 2024 classes began. A visit to the Chula Vista campus led to an easy enrollment process in general education courses and, just as importantly, reassurance. Professors were welcoming and encouraging, helping her believe she belonged in higher education.
Then life intervened.
Krystal received devastating news that her beloved grandfather was seriously ill with cancer. She returned home for two weeks to be with him during his final days and to attend his funeral. During that time, her love of science became something deeper.
“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.”
Now a Molecular and Cellular Biology major focusing on biomedicine and biochemistry, Krystal has set her sights on oncology. Her dream is to earn both an MD and a PhD, combining research with patient care.
That dream gained momentum last summer when she was selected as one of just 14 students nationwide for an internship with Scripps Institution of Oceanography that’s affiliated with UC San Diego. In the lab, she studied enzymes and their role in improving cancer medications.
The experience was transformative.
To help continue her studies in the Fall of 2025, Krystal applied for Southwestern College Foundation scholarships and was awarded four. The support helped cover books, lab materials, and bookstore expenses while she focuses on school and research rather than scrambling to find a job to make ends meet.
But for her, the scholarships carried emotional meaning.
“It means my story mattered to someone,” she said. “It means I was heard. Someone believes in me. It is very validating.”
Today, she also works with the SDSU Research Foundation at the Naval Information Warfare Center, conducting DNA extraction research aligned with her academic goals. She’s on track to graduate from Southwestern College in Spring 2026 and plans to reapply to UC San Diego.
Even when setbacks arise like a prestigious UCSD Regents scholarship that was later rescinded in August 2025 due to two missing classes, Krystal keeps moving forward.
“When things get hard, I just work harder,” she said. “That’s how I was raised.”
Outside the lab and classroom, she volunteers with Surfrider beach cleanups, staying connected to the ocean that influenced her early life. She encourages other students to build community wherever they can.
“Relating is everything,” she said. “There are people here who care and want to help.”
For the Southwestern College community, her story is a reminder that Foundation Scholarships do more than fund education. They create room for resilience, purpose, possibility and sometimes, they help a student carry an entire ocean of dreams forward.