Where we foster excellence in education that challenges students of every background to develop their intellect, character, and abilities; to assist students in achieving their educational and career goals; and to be responsive to the greater community.
Welcome to the official page of Imperial Valley College’s new mascot, the Desert Warrior! Our Desert Warrior is more than just a symbol; it embodies the strength, resilience, and values that define our college community. Learn about the journey and the thoughtful process that led to the creation of our new mascot.
In 2019, the Student Affairs Committee and the Associated Student Government (ASG) proposed an initiative to redesign our mascot to better reflect IVC’s core values of diversity and inclusivity. This led to the formation of the Mascot Identity Task Force (MITF), comprising representatives from ASG, administration, and various governance committees. Their mission was to select a mascot that truly represents the values and spirit of our community.
From the start, community involvement was crucial. We launched a comprehensive communication campaign, including press releases, social media updates, and emails, to engage students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members. After an initial survey with artistic renderings caused some confusion, we re-administered the survey without these images to ensure a fair and representative selection process.
The final survey results revealed a clear preference for the "Desert Warriors" mascot, with 47.5% of respondents favoring this choice. Supported by a broad base of current students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members, the Board of Trustees voted in March 2021 to retire the former mascot. In June 2023, the "Desert Warriors" name was officially adopted, effective June 21, 2023.
The design process aimed to create a mascot that reflects IVC’s values. The ASG and MITF decided against designing a mascot with weapons, opting for a gender-ambiguous look instead. Local artists and alumni collaborated to create initial renderings, which were then narrowed down to three top choices for a community survey.
The Design Concept Survey, conducted in March 2024, featured:
Option B emerged as the preferred design, receiving 50.93% of the votes (1,726 of the total 3,389 respondents). Option A received 33% (1,134 votes), and Option C received 15% (529 votes).
Community feedback was invaluable in refining the mascot’s design. Suggestions included making the design less cartoonish and more rugged, adding battle scars or a ripped cape to give the warrior a more experienced look. These traits were seen as aligning with the cunningness, speed, and resilience of our community. Using artificial intelligence, the ASG and MITF blended Option B with these suggestions, resulting in a more refined and representative mascot design.
We collaborated with SX Sportswear Inc. to convert our AI-generated design into a vector-ready image suitable for apparel and merchandise. This final design was presented to various campus bodies, including ASG, the Athletic Department, and the Academic Senate, for approval and feedback.
The Imperial Community College District Trustees voted unanimously to adopt the finalized design concept for the Desert Warrior mascot during their regularly scheduled board meeting on Wednesday evening, June 18. Moving forward, the Desert Warrior mascot will be integrated into all promotional materials and communication channels. This includes launching mascot apparel and distributing merchandise to foster school spirit and unity.
We are excited to embark on this new chapter with the Desert Warrior and look forward to seeing our new mascot inspire and unite the Imperial Valley College community.
For more information or to get involved, please contact the Imperial Valley College Public Relations Office at 760-355-6551 or at communications@imperial.edu
