Adena Loston, President, St. Philip’s College

In an interview with Invest:, St. Philip’s College President Adena Loston highlighted the institution’s 21% enrollment growth, far outpacing national community college trends. “We meet students where they are,” she noted, citing the launch of a cybersecurity bachelor’s program and a weekend trades initiative as key drivers of workforce readiness. With more than $125 million in new facilities underway and strong industry partnerships, the college continues to expand opportunities.

What shifts in the regional economy or job market have most impacted St. Philip’s this past year?

St. Philip’s College stands out as a beacon. We’ve broken the traditional patterns for student enrollment and access to education. Typically, community colleges have grown by about 5.4%. This year, we experienced a 21% increase in enrollment, with double-digit growth in every category: first-year students, dual credit, continuing, and transfer students.

From 2021 to 2024, our population grew to 18,000 students, a 39% increase in just three years. That’s different from what other institutions are experiencing. For us, this growth has been intentional. Through strategic planning and a shared mission, we’ve focused on connecting with students on their level and helping them reach their goals. That includes building career pathways and strengthening student services through our Welcome Center.

We employ over 100 people in the Welcome Center, supporting students from enrollment to graduation. We have also recently opened a second Welcome Center at our Southwest Campus. These intentional efforts are why we see results that go against national trends.

What makes San Antonio’s East Side an ideal location for St. Philip’s, and how do you stand out in Texas higher education?

We’re proud to be both an HBCU and an HSI, which distinguishes us from other institutions. Our HBCU designation reflects our history — even though we are no longer predominantly Black, we will always carry that legacy. 

Our East Side location is also significant. The community has historically faced economic challenges, and we’ve created access and pathways to higher education that otherwise might not exist. This year marks our 127th anniversary.

We began as a sewing school for the daughters and granddaughters of emancipated slaves. That legacy of providing education and opportunity continues today.

We don’t send rejection letters. We meet students where they are, and we work to create a sense of belonging. In our strategic plan, we committed to ensuring every individual who steps on our campus leaves with the belief that they belong here. The evidence shows we’re achieving that.

How would you describe attitudes toward higher education in Central Texas, given enrollment declines nationwide?

At St. Philip’s, our three core competencies are quality programs, student engagement, and community engagement. We’re intentional about being a part of community life, whether through neighborhood associations, National Night Out, or local events. That visibility helps people see us as a resource where they can gain new skills, professional development, or upskilling opportunities.

While many community colleges draw primarily from their immediate area, St. Philip’s pulls students from seven surrounding counties and even from Houston for some of our specialized programs. What sets us apart is that we design our workforce programs to match the needs of local businesses and industries. That’s why there’s support for what we do in Central Texas.

What sectors show the strongest demand for your training, and how are you shaping your curriculum to meet those needs?

We just launched a weekend trades program in August 2025. It gives people the opportunity to keep their jobs during the week while gaining new skills on Fridays and Saturdays. The program focuses on high-wage, high-demand fields like heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; diesel technology; and electrical trades. Every class we offered filled up quickly. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the electrical trades alone will see more than 100,000 job openings between 2023 and 2033.

Another major focus for us is cybersecurity. San Antonio is the second-largest hub for cyber defense outside Washington, D.C. In December 2024, our accrediting body approved us to award a Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cybersecurity. That was a historic milestone — we are a two-year institution, but now we can confer a bachelor’s degree. This program is hands-on, making up about 40% of the curriculum. Students learn not only tools and techniques but also earn industry-recognized certifications. We even have a Red Knight cybersecurity lab on campus, so they’re practicing best practices in real-world scenarios.

The demand is tremendous. Entry-level salaries in cybersecurity average around $65,000, but many of our graduates — especially those with prior certifications — are moving straight into six-figure jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 31% increase in cybersecurity jobs from 2019 to 2029.

We’ve already invested more than $60 million into facilities for this program, including the Saint Artemisia Bowden Building for juniors and seniors, and a Cybersecurity Innovations Center for freshmen and sophomores. Our first three bachelor’s degree students will graduate this August, with eight more set to finish in December 2025. In many ways, we’re fulfilling the vision of our founding president, who served for 52 years and dreamed of St. Philip’s becoming a four-year institution.

With the recent bond package, how are you positioning new facilities to meet regional workforce needs?

From the bond package, St. Philip’s will receive two major new buildings. The first is a $65 million automotive technology building. As the auto industry transitions from carbureted vehicles to hybrids and electric vehicles, demand for trained technicians is growing rapidly. We have strong partnerships with about nine automotive dealerships, and the new facility will give us more service bays and classrooms for instruction.

The second project is a new construction trades technology building at our Southwest Campus. This will allow us to expand programs in construction technology and electronics, key areas for our weekend and evening trades programs. These new facilities will give us the capacity to meet the region’s workforce demands well into the future.

How are current economic conditions affecting affordability, student success, and outcomes?

At St. Philip’s College, we have the Alamo Promise program, which provides students with access to higher education free of cost. This allows many of our students to attend college without the heavy burden of out-of-pocket expenses.

At St. Philip’s, we also hold an annual fundraiser — a golf tournament. Over 16 years, it has raised $1.9 million to support students. Those funds go toward scholarships, including the Student Engagement Grant, where students give back on campus, and the Presidential Scholars program, where students work with me and serve in the community.

We also benefit from strong industry partnerships. For example, H-E-B has committed $1 million to support the construction of a new Black Box Theater. Valero donated $1 million to enhance our Cybersecurity Innovations Center. The Tres Grace Foundation contributed $1 million to support our tourism, hospitality, and culinary arts programs. Other organizations have stepped up as well. The Links Incorporated gave $500,000 to support students, and USAA committed more than $400,000. These partnerships reflect confidence in the quality of our programs and graduates. They know we are preparing students with the skills to meet workforce needs.

Beyond financial support, we make sure students have the support to succeed. Through externship and internship opportunities, students get hands-on experience in their fields. Each workforce program also has an advisory committee made up of industry professionals, ensuring our curriculum remains current and relevant.

What are your key goals for St. Philip’s over the next two to three years?

My goal is to expand our bachelor’s degree offerings. We began with cybersecurity, and I would like to see us add more programs. That would allow students who start in our workforce pathways to stay with us through completion of a four-year degree.

This fulfills the vision of our founding president, who led St. Philip’s for 52 years and dreamed of us becoming a four-year institution. While we’ve reached that milestone, I want us to build even greater capacity. I often say that at St. Philip’s, students get to walk in their passion. We don’t tell them what to study — they tell us — and we provide the pathway to make it possible.

We are also committed to creating a culture of caring and a sense of belonging. One way we do that is through our Advocacy Center, which helps address challenges outside the classroom that can affect student performance. The center offers a clothes closet, a food pantry with grab-and-go meals, financial counseling, accessibility services, Title IX support, and personal counseling. These services ensure students can focus on their education, knowing they have support for other competing priorities in their lives.

Ultimately, our mission is to stand alongside our students, meeting their needs, helping them build skills, and ensuring they leave here with the confidence that they belong.