Growing up in Germany, Lea Bronson never dreamed of the path that her life has taken: a full life with her husband in San Diego County, and a thriving academic journey at Palomar College culminating with her selection as the 2025 valedictorian and will be recognized at the Palomar College commencement ceremony on May 23 at 5:00 p.m.
Bronson started at Palomar College in Fall 2021, unsure that her limited fluency in English would be adequate for her college classes. During her time at Palomar, she’s received numerous accolades. Bronson has maintained a perfect grade point average, and was selected for Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the community college honor society. She also was one of 200 students nationwide who were chosen to receive a $1,000 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise scholarship.
“My time at Palomar shaped me into a confident, capable learner who is ready for the next challenge,” Bronson wrote. “It did not just prepare me for nursing school; it helped me believe that I belong there. Now I am ready to move forward with a strong academic foundation, a resilient mindset, and a genuine desire to make an impact where it matters most, made possible by my experiences at Palomar College.”
Bronson grew up in a small town in Bavaria, where she was working and attending a trade school when she met her future husband, Craig Bronson, a manager at General Atomics, who was visiting Germany at the time. After a two-year long-distance relationship, she moved to San Diego at the age of 20. They married on March 3, 2020 – just days before the COVID pandemic shut down the world.
Feeling isolated, Bronson decided to resume her education at Palomar College. She worked as an EMT while attending classes and is now an EMT field supervisor working 60 hours a week. She said she wouldn’t have been able to continue work and school without her husband’s willingness to take over the household chores and encourage her to stick to her education.
Bronson’s busy life goes beyond her work and classes. She is active in PTK, and volunteers with the Positive Movement Foundation to introduce careers in EMS (Emergency Medical Services) to middle schoolers. She volunteers through her employer with Elizabeth Hospice, and developed a project known as Last Wish Transports, in which hospice patients choose a location where they can get together with their loved ones.
Bronson plans to transfer to the University of Kansas in Fall 2026 to pursue a nursing degree so that she can become a registered nurse. She hopes to specialize in emergency medicine and work in rural communities that are medically underserved.
About the Palomar College 2025 Commencement Ceremony
For the first time in Palomar College history, the 2025 Commencement Ceremony will be held at the football stadium at the San Marcos campus on May 23 at 5:00 p.m. The stadium opened to the public last fall. There are 2,913 graduates in the class of 2025 and over 4,500 degrees and certificates will be conferred during the ceremony, with some graduates earning both a certificate and an associates degree. For more information can be found on the 2025 Commencement Ceremony website.