Maya Southall embodies the best of San Diego City College.
Born in San Diego but raised in Tokyo after moving to Japan with her family when she was just 5 years old, Southall returned to her hometown in the fall of 2022 for one reason: to attend City College. She hasn’t looked back.
“I have no regrets at all,” said Southall, 20, who is majoring in Spanish but is still exploring her future plans. “I really like it here, and I’m hopeful of getting into San Diego State.”
Southall, her parents and younger brother moved to Tokyo to be with her maternal grandfather, and she originally planned on attending a university in Japan. Her scores on the challenging college entrance exam, however, fell short of her goal, prompting her mom to suggest returning to San Diego.
City College was an obvious choice.
“I wanted to be in the city,” said Southall, who is now living in Golden Hill and was working for a time at the San Diego Zoo. “I also wanted to major in Spanish, and City College has a good Spanish program.”
She also loves the weather – warmer and drier than in Tokyo, and the ample supply of quality Mexican restaurants and taquerias. The diversity is also refreshing, making the Black/Japanese resident feeling right at home.
Southall was, however, taken aback at some of the challenges the city is facing. “I was shocked when I saw all these tents on the streets housing the homeless,” she said. “It’s not something I was used to seeing in Japan.”
At City, Southall has found an extensive web of support, from the Asian Pacific Islander Student Alliance (APSA) to the City College Tutorial/Learning Center.
“The counselors here have been very helpful,” Southall said. “My English still isn’t that good, and I can struggle with my writing, so the tutoring center teachers have really helped me with improving my essay writing.”
City College counselor Nora Hinsley, who serves as the APSA faculty advisor, said Southall has brought much to the East Village campus. “It has been a pleasure getting to know Maya,” she said. “I have gotten to know her through her active participation in the APSA student organization and as her counselor. She is a joy to be around and genuinely wants to help others. She has assisted in the coordination of many events on our campus and is always looking for more opportunities to get involved.”
Although Southall does at time get a taste of being homesick on occasion, being enrolled at a modern campus in the heart of San Diego has been a rewarding experience.
“It’s a beautiful campus with a nice layout and a lot of space to walk around. It’s so open. And the people here are really nice. The counselors are very helpful. Everyone has been very supportive,” she said.