Javier Ayala, dean of career and workforce development at Grossmont College and a Lemon Grove resident, remembers the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022.
“Artificial intelligence has been around for a long time, but I noticed this natural language generative model really kicking off,” Ayala said. “So my initial reaction was to learn more, you know, because I’m in education and we’re hardwired to be curious. Then I realized right away, wow, this is amazing. It’s a game changer.”
Over the last couple of years, he and his colleague at Grossmont College have been studying and researching how they can help students and the community learn more about artificial intelligence so they can get a job in this new industry.
This included Philip Bell, computer science and information systems associate professor at Grossmont College, participating in NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Institute. This free program aids community college faculty with the knowledge and tools to help their students in new and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
With this training and research, Grossmont College started its first applied artificial intelligence associate science degree in October.
Currently, the school has two eight-week courses. One is a free noncredit introductory class, with 16 students. The other is a for-credit course, with 24 students. The courses are structured to prepare students for entry-level roles in artificial intelligence-related fields. They will also use AI tools firsthand, automate processes and analyze data.
“My role as dean and our goal as a department is to create new career pathways,” Ayala said. “It’s also to assist with workforce development and educate students and the community so they can enter the workforce better equipped to get jobs and careers.”
Ayala has a bachelor’s degree in political science, a master’s from the University of Oregon and a doctorate in education from Oregon State University. He said he originally wanted to get into finance and banking, but after visiting the Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste in Oregon, whose mission is to empower farmworkers and working Latinx families in Oregon, he changed his trajectory and decided to pursue a career in education.
“I saw these hard-working farmworkers, and I got to talk to some of them and I asked them, to get to know them a little bit, and what I picked up a lot on was that they wanted to take advantage of opportunities,” Ayala remembered. “But one opportunity that they couldn’t take advantage of was education. So, that kind of really opened my eyes to really doing the best I can around my education and bringing education to people who don’t have it.”
Javier Ayala is the dean of career and workforce development at Grossmont College. (Lemon Grove School District)
Ayala has worked as a professor at Oregon State University and The State University of New York, and as a school administrator at Umpqua Community College and Clatsop Community College.
Ayala moved to San Diego County after being hired at San Diego State University and has been living with his family in Lemon Grove for the past seven years.
“Lemon Grove is such a central hub to everything,” Ayala said. “We are close to (freeways) and downtown San Diego, and we like it here because it’s not a big community, so you see your neighbors regularly and people are friendly and very helpful. The houses are still very affordable relative to other parts of San Diego.”
Here are Ayala’s five places to check out in Lemon Grove.
Shrimp Buccattini Pesto dish served at Giardino restaurant in Lemon Grove on Saturday, November 22, 2025.(Photo by Sandy Huffaker for The San Diego Union-Tribune)
White Lemon Cranberry mixed drink served at Giardino restaurant in Lemon Grove on Saturday, November 22, 2025.(Photo by Sandy Huffaker for The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Dining area at Giardino restaurant in Lemon Grove on Saturday, November 22, 2025.(Photo by Sandy Huffaker for The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Natalia Kravalis prepares Stuffed Mushroom with Crabmeat at Giardino restaurant in Lemon Grove on Saturday, November 22, 2025.(Photo by Sandy Huffaker for The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Karina Kravalis mixes a cocktail at Giardino restaurant in Lemon Grove on Saturday, November 22, 2025.(Photo by Sandy Huffaker for The San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Shrimp Buccattini Pesto dish served at Giardino restaurant in Lemon Grove on Saturday, November 22, 2025.(Photo by Sandy Huffaker for The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Q: Where is your favorite dining option?
A: Giardino Neighborhood Cucina. I love going there, especially for celebrations. We had our son’s high school graduation (party) there. It’s an Italian restaurant. It’s very cozy. It feels like a whole little Italian experience there. I love their steak. I’m a steak person, so I love that. I like the ravioli. It’s delicious, and they have some delicious pizzas as well. When you go in, people are super friendly. You see the locals: parents, kids, council people (and) pretty much anybody who is in the community will go to that restaurant. It’s kind of like going to your own kitchen, except you don’t have to clean up for yourself afterwards.
Q: What is your favorite small retail business or pop-up vendor to support?
A: Elevated Coffee. It’s more than a caffeine stop. There’s a calm atmosphere that gives you a moment to breathe, whether you’re gearing up for the day or settling in to get some work done. The staff treats people like neighbors, not customers, and that keeps me coming back.
Q: Where is your favorite open space?
A: Berry Street Park. It is easy to get to and easy to enjoy. I like walking and jogging, and I spend a lot of time doing that whenever I can. I like it because I can honestly measure very easily how many steps I will get. I know if I do like five rounds around the park, I know how many steps I will get in. The park is pretty. It’s got trees. It’s got a dog park. I used to have a pet. He passed away a couple of years ago so it kind of brings good memories about him as well. There’s a playground. There are community events on a regular basis, and the park is pretty well maintained for the most part.
Q: Where is the best piece of artwork?
A: The new Lemon Grove library has this beautiful mural that was put together, probably a year and a half ago, by (Josué Baltézar). The mural is my favorite because it is bold, simple and instantly recognizable. I also enjoy the smaller murals around the Lemon Grove Library that add quiet color and personality to the neighborhood. I’ve always loved art, especially the work of Francisco Goya, but the image that stays with me the most is the Pale Blue Dot photo from Voyager 1. It reminds me how small and connected we all are, and that perspective makes me appreciate these local pieces even more because they ground that larger feeling in the place I call home.
On the right, Roberto Alvarez Jr. is next to the mural that illustrates a landmark case involving his father Roberto Alvarez vs. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove School District that attempted to build a separate school for children of Mexican origin in Lemon Grove. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Q: Where is your favorite entertainment attraction or historic landmark?
A: The first successful case in California, against school segregation, was in Lemon Grove. Many know Brown v. Board of Education in the 1950s, but before that, there was an actual court case in Lemon Grove: Roberto Alvarez versus the Lemon Grove School District Board of Trustees in the 1930s… On Broadway, there is a mural depicting this historical case, where the San Diego Superior Court ruled in favor of the family.