Students are writing a new chapter in their academic careers as San Jose City College’s spring semester is drawing to a close. For many students, this means that they will soon be transferring to upper-division schools.

According to a San Francisco Chronicle article, SJCC is ranked fourth out of all Bay Area community colleges for transfer rates to schools in the University of California system. Lezra Chenportillo, a career and transfer counselor, spoke about that ranking.

“We serve a very high-touch population,” she said. “So for me, it means that much more when our students transfer. It’s not what we do, it’s how we do it.”

Pratham Tated, a computer science major and Associated Student Government trustee for the 2024-25 school year, is set to transfer. He is planning to attend UC Santa Cruz to complete his bachelor’s degree.

“It’s great to be at San Jose City College, it’s great to be a Jaguar, but it’s time to move on,” he said.

Bryan Castillo, a METAS intern, will be moving on to the California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo. He is a business administration major, planning to transfer with a concentration in finance.

“I know some businesses were created at CalPoly, like Jamba Juice,” he said. “If I’m able to create something like that, something different, we’ll see.”

Castillo, who is a first-generation graduate, reflected on the community he will be leaving behind for his new journey.

“When I went there, I saw no Latinos,” he said. “It’s good to make new friends outside of your background, but it’s also good to have that community.”

Other students, such as Kim Ruiz, will remain in San Jose to continue their education. She will leave SJCC with an associate’s degree in business, and is looking forward to getting her start at San Jose State University in the fall.

“It’s really close to home and just more convenient for me,” Ruiz said about SJSU. She hopes to make connections with new people, adding, “I feel like when I was here at SJCC, I didn’t involve myself in student life, so that’s something I want to do at SJSU.”

Many SJCC students are looking to make a difference in their community as they climb up the academic ladder. Kristian Iraheta is transferring to SJSU as a sociology major, and is looking to minor in Spanish.

“What I want to do is to help out my community, but I also understand that speaking Spanish kind of … opens doors,” he said.

Iraheta hails from El Salvador, and grew up witnessing a lot of violence. He hopes to become a parole officer after continuing his education.

“I feel like there’s a lot of good people that find themselves in bad situations,” he said.

Kevin Nicolas Abonce Chavez is also looking to make an impact in the community. He’s transferring to SJSU as a stepping stone towards his dream career of being an immigration lawyer.

“It’s one of the ways I thought I could give back to the community,” he said. “I was born here and I just want to somehow give back.”