Palomar Promise and Fallbrook campus make for a good first year

FALLBROOK – As one of the first students to set foot inside a classroom at Palomar College's new Fallbrook Education Center, Melissa Barrera graduated high school with perfect timing.

In spring 2018, when Barrera was finishing her senior year at Fallbrook High, the college was putting the final touches on an education center that would bring a range of in-demand classes and programs within reach.

"Palomar made it possible for me to take my first year of college tuition-free and close to home," she said.

In Barrera's case, working a part-time job in downtown Fallbrook and without reliable trans...