Newest trustee enjoys providing opportunities

If opening doors for others is a sign of politeness, Nora Vargas should be voted Miss Congeniality every year.
Southwestern College’s newest governing board member has been opening doors for her community since childhood.
Though she attended Montgomery High School, SWC and the University of San Francisco, Vargas was born and raised in Tijuana. That is where she said her passion for volunteering began.
“My family and I would help raise money for the (Mexican) Red Cross, paint schools and participate with various non-profit organizations,” she said. “I always knew that my vocation was to do public service because I had grown up in a family where public service is what we did.”
Vargas credits a course taught by SWC political science professor Alma Aguilar for helping her discover her true calling.
“It opened up my eyes to a whole new world,” she said. “It just changed my life. I decided I wanted to study politics.”
Vargas switched her major from pre-law to political science.
As Planned Parenthood’s Vice President of Community Engagement for the Pacific Southwest, she has worked closely with young adults and the issues that affect them directly. Governing board members, she said, have a big responsibility to serve the community.
“Your decisions impact a lot of people,” she said. “Not just the 20,000 students that are coming each semester. It impacts faculty. It impacts what your community’s going to look like, the culture of the organization.”
Changing the direction of the previous SWC administration after all the secrecy, abuse and corruption scandals is her main point of focus, said Vargas.
“When it comes to changing the culture in an institution it doesn’t happen overnight,” she said. “I think it’s the responsibility of a governing board member to not only be an advocate, but to ask the tough questions so that we can make sure that these things don’t happen again.”
Governing Board President Humberto Peraza said he appreciates Vargas’ toughness.
“She is the definition of a strong woman,” he said. “She’s got the courage to really stand up for what she believes in. She is totally positive, but she is no bullshit.”
Dr. Angelica Suarez, Vice President of Student Affairs, said she has witnessed Vargas’ devotion.
“She really has demonstrated a passion for our students in making sure that we have the support services that they need to be successful,” she said.
Board member Norma L. Hernandez said she is ecstatic about working with Vargas.
“It’s actually invigorating to see someone that I knew as a student and now she’s my colleague,” she said. “I think it speaks well of what SWC does in people’s lives, how important it is in people’s lives.”
Despite her many accomplishments, Vargas just wants to be remembered as someone who was a positive influence for others.
“That’s what I want my legacy to be,” she said. “That I’m the kind of person that helps other people get to where they want to be. And your legacy should be really being able to open doors for other people.”