Three women hold shovels
A group of people and mascot Blue hold shovels

Aeronautics and health sciences students were on hand as district and college leaders broke ground March 31 on two buildings that will educate future professionals in those industries. 

The two-story buildings are slated to be finished in Fall 2028. 

“The Inland Empire needs nurses, it needs pilots, mechanics, aviation technicians, and air traffic controllers. It needs allied health professionals,” said San Bernardino Valley College President Dr. Gilbert J. Contreras. “These are not just career pathways for our students, they’re lifelines for our community.” 

Each attendee received a special commemorative pin with airman’s wings or a medical staff twined with serpents. After the ceremony, there were tours of the former Applied Technology Building and interactive exhibits from the programs, including flight simulators. 

The 25,000-square-foot aeronautics building will have an aircraft hangar, sheet metal shop, composites lab, and testing and inspection classrooms. The 40,000-square-foot health sciences building will boast real-world clinical settings for nursing, pharmacology, psychiatric technician and allied health students.