An accounting specialist supervisor in the Business Services division at San Diego City College, Salvador Guzman-Arellano is committed to excellence. And it shows. “I was surrounded by mentors who looked like me and who encouraged me to pursue my education since I first took a few classes in business, economics, and marketing at City after graduating from high school,” Guzman-Arellano said.

Today, Guzman-Arellano is on track to earn his bachelor’s degree from California State University, San Marcos, in the fall of 2025, with plans to pursue a master’s in Business Administration. His long term goal: becoming City’s Vice President of Administrative Services.

His achievements were recognized at a May 20 Employee Alumni Awards ceremony.

It’s been a rapid rise for the 28-year-old native of Colima, Mexico, who grew up in Logan Heights. Equipped with a business and marketing background from his City College classes, Guzman-Arellano began working at a Westfield Plaza Bonita Mall shoe store, where he was soon given the responsibility of serving as sales leader. When he learned City College was hiring a project assistant in Business Services, he applied for and was hired for the position. That was in 2017. Two years later, he secured a full-time job as an administrative assistant for the Dean of Student Development and Matriculation. After a short stint as an administrative technician in Business Services, he was promoted to his current post as an accounting specialist supervisor.

Along the way, Guzman-Arellano secured an Associate Degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences from City in the spring of 2024. He’s now enrolled in full-time, online classes at CSUSM while working full time at City. Taking 15 units per semester since he began, Guzman-Arellano is on track to earn his bachelor’s degree in the fall of 2025.

Why does he keep doing it? “The satisfaction of knowing what I’m doing is benefiting our students,” he said. “Plus, crunching numbers, working with Excel spreadsheets, running reports, it’s all just something I’ve always loved doing.”

It’s been a bit of a whirlwind. Guzman-Arellano and his wife, Bianca, have a toddler-age son. Within a single year, he met Bianca, then a City College student, they married, she became pregnant, they purchased a house – all while both were working and going to school full time. They are so connected to the City College community, they even held their wedding at the A Building patio, located on the San Diego City College campus. “We love this place,” Guzman-Arellano said.

“Sometimes I ask myself, ‘How am I doing all this,’ and sometimes I can’t answer that,” Guzman-Arellano added. “But my wife is pursuing her Ph.D. at USD, and she’s been encouraging me and serving as an inspiration to continue.”

Bianca Guzman-Arellano, who is on track to earn her Ph.D. in the spring of 2026, has stated on more than one occasion that she aspires to become City College president in the not-to-distant future.

Said Guzman-Arellano: “When I figured out what I wanted to do in education at City, I saw people who looked like me and I told myself, ‘I can do that.’ They set an example, they encouraged me, they’ve supported me. That slogan we have, You Belong at City, is true. The people here at City have your back.”