In its 125-year history, the iconic San Diego State University stands as an urban beacon for its community near the U.S.-Mexico border. The richly diverse main campus spreads over 560 acres on what is known as respected Kumeyaay land.

The stats and quick facts from the SDSU website are impressive. In 2021, 203 degree programs were offered. That year, there were approximately 92,000 undergraduate applicants, nearly 31,000 undergraduates enrolled, and approximately 10,242 students graduated. There are nearly 7,000 faculty and staff, and 450,000 alumni. There is an annual research budget of more than $160 million. It is also a Division I athletic program with 17 teams. SDSU is on the cusp of becoming an R1 university, making it a new kind of HSI since no other R1 in California started out as an HSI and then became R1 - a premiere public research university.

Yet there have been only nine presidents in SDSU’s long historical timeline. Their longevity, commitment and the uninterrupted terms have perhaps fueled the growth that has made the university not only a cornerstone of San Diego but a global force for excellence in higher education.   

In 2018 another milestone was reached by hiring Dr. Adela de la Torre as the ninth president—the first woman and first Latina—in that long line of committed individuals. Recruited for different presidencies over the years, she never applied for or pursued a single one—until SDSU.

“To have lofty goals is one thing, but to find the right environment, at the right moment, is totally different,” says de la Torre, who cares deeply about the university’s long history of having a transformative impact on its students. Its rich community perspective placed it on a trajectory to even greater prominence. 

“Today, after nearly five years in the role, I can say it remains the best decision I could have made.”

Women of Strength 

Growing up in the Bay Area in a time that was rife with bias and discrimination, the unwavering support de la Torre had from her grandmother, who immigrated from Mexico, and her mother, who was a public school teacher for 40 years, lifted her up. “I vividly remember my grandmother walking me to the campus of UC Berkeley and telling me I would go and study there one day – and she was right! She was an amazing role model for me, who taught me to be compassionate and resilient, and showed me the perfect combination of vision and ambition with nurturing and love.”

Perhaps these strong role models inspired de la Torre to seek out other like-minded women with backbone and heart. In graduate school, she met other Latina Ph.D. students, but from completely different areas.  

“We formed a group that we called “Mujeres en Marcha,” which translates to “Women on the Move.” There weren’t many of us, but we were an essential support system for each other. We intimately understood the challenges we each faced like no one else could. But with each other's support, through celebrations and setbacks, we all ended up graduating and launching into very successful careers.”

Most became faculty members in higher education and leaders in their fields.

The Road of Firsts

It took 30 years for de la Torre to shift to upper administration. “I’ve been many “firsts” in my life. I am the first Latina president, but before that I was the first Latina Vice President in my role at UC Davis, and the first Latina to reach the rank of Distinguished Professor. Even before that, I was the first Latina to graduate with a PhD in my field at UC Berkeley.” 

It was all part of the journey leading her to San Diego and her mission on a grand scale. But the “first” is often not the story of the lone individual, who excelled alone, she explained. It was about creating a collective support structure to propel her forward. “And this thinking ensures that I value the communities of others – where they come from, and what roads they might have traveled. This provides us with a more expansive understanding of the importance of the collective richness that can be found in our communities”.

Valuing these support structures guided her and helped her create opportunities for alignment and empowerment to make lasting change. 

Earning her Ph.D. at UC Berkeley, she applied her economics background to address health, economic, and educational disparities in Mexican-American and underserved communities. As a professor at California State University, Long Beach, the University of Arizona, and UC Davis, she gained experience. Also, she found her motivation shifting from teaching and research to taking on administrative leadership positions in order to create actual systemic change and build new support systems for students and communities across the state.

She hopes to continue embedding those changes in a sustainable model – financially, culturally, and organizationally.

“As I’ve spent more time in leadership roles, I learned that very few accomplishments are individual. I have been fortunate to be surrounded by excellent teams and fellow leaders. We don’t always agree on how to get there, and that debate is healthy, but we all share a vision for improving the lives of our students and addressing some of our region’s greatest challenges.”

Beyond the Storm Clouds

As SDSU continues to expand and reach more milestones in this 125th anniversary year, there is a stark reality to face. With the number of high-school graduates in America forecasted to drop by up to 15% in the next decade, there is a demographic cliff facing the CSU system and all colleges nationally, de la Torre explained.

“There are storm clouds on the horizon that will impact all of higher education. Perhaps more importantly, there is declining confidence in the value of a college degree. Add this to the rising cost of education, inflation, and cost of living, and it’s no wonder fewer families believe there will be a return on their investment in higher education. This is especially true of low-income families, and middle-income families who don’t qualify for federal aid. As leaders, we face a challenge and an opportunity in re-establishing trust with the public.”

That trust continues to build for SDSU’s vision and commitment, which has been the core of its 125-year history. As a lifelong advocate for access, de la Torre doesn’t ever lose sight of all the accomplishments and milestones SDSU has reached. She is proud that not only have they raised the overall graduation rate to nearly 80%, which is far above the national average, but they have also closed the graduation achievement gap for underrepresented minorities to less than 2.5% in many areas, the lowest in the 23-campus CSU system and among the lowest in the nation, she says.

De la Torre wants to continue creating sustainable change that will offer opportunities beyond San Diego State’s 560 acres. Surrounded by a supportive and growing family and her other role as “Abuela” to her grandchildren, she has come home. “I’ve put down roots here in San Diego. My aspirations center around creating a lasting legacy of opportunity for current and future generations of students, faculty and staff.”