Whittier’s Feminist Icon: Alissa Portillo
Bravery, resilience, adaptability, and perseverance are qualities that are irrefutably beneficial to success. To some, these qualities do not come easy. To Alissa Portillo, these are defining characteristics. Portillo has already made strides in the professional world and developed a well-rounded world-view.
Whittier College’s liberal arts education program allows students to “take classes in whatever you’re interested in,” an opportunity Portillo utilized to take classes such as Marketing Principles and Public Health. She also interned at the Career Center and is the former Deputy Editor and Social Media Manager of the Quaker Campus. She is currently employed at the non-profit organization Human Option. “I worked hard for the role of Prevention Educator,” she beamed. The position is “right up her alley” and she “is very passionate” about assisting the community.
Born and raised in Southern California, Alissa Portillo went to a small charter school in San Pedro before moving to Whittier her junior year, where she attended California High School. A fan of smaller class sizes, Portillo was inclined to pursue her education at Whittier College, as opposed to a larger school. Along with the intimate feel of a small student body, Portillo admired the location and scenery of the College. “I will never say it’s not beautiful,” she said, wistfully reminiscing on the palm trees and greenery. She was pleased to be accepted into the College, where she studied Psychology with a minor in Business.
To Portillo, Psychology was the “obvious choice” to pursue as a major, as her “friends always said [she] was really good at giving advice.” The Psychology professors at Whittier assisted Portillo with her personal goals and “really do care about our future plans.” Portillo added, “they will always be a support for you,” admiration for the department evidence in her voice. She minored in Business to expand her credentials. Additionally, business courses learn to balance budgets, work with peers, and manage projects, which can be applicable to various jobs.
Portillo got involved in the Quaker Campus in early 2022, moving to the position she is currently in now by her senior year. Her QC career began because faculty advisor Joe Donnelly “enjoyed [her] writing” during his JanTerm profile writing course, and “recommended [she] join the QC.” She took this advice and “joined the team, initially as a staff writer.” While hesitant at first and intimidated by the process, Portillo accepted Joe’s invitation and began writing for the paper. Before she knew it, the Editors in 2022 wanted her to take on a section head position her junior year. She wrote “strong features pieces” because she enjoyed connecting with individuals, but “wanted a challenge,” which manifested in the form of being the Opinions Editor.
This new role required her to spend more time on campus, which as a commuter was unusual for Portillo. “My first semester, I don’t think I went into the office once,” Portillo chuckled, “But over time, I was able to connect with the other students.” Her senior year, Portillo was offered the Deputy position, where she worked closely alongside the Editor-in-chief, Emily Henderson. This partnership helped her “find her place” and feel “less alone” on campus. She recommends that “students struggling with isolation should break out of their shell,” as she did by joining the QC.
Eager to begin her professional career, Portillo graduated from Whittier last fall, a semester early. After multiple interviews, she was offered a position as prevention educator for Human Option, a non-profit domestic violence agency in Irvine, where she has worked since the end of February. “I really wanted to work with victims and survivors of dating violence,” Portillo remarked excited, “and then a new position opened that was so up my alley.” As prevention educator, Portillo works alongside those affected by domestic violence and coordinates social media and blog posts. Working for the Quaker Campus honed her ability to write and edit compelling pieces, a skill she finds useful in her current role.
Native to the area, Portillo’s “whole life” has been in and around Los Angeles. She’d like to “move out of state in the future” and attend grad school, she mentioned hopefully. However, she has “yet to decide where.” For now, she “really likes where [she’s] at.”
Portillo’s current role is close to her personally; she is a survivor of dating violence herself. As such, she is passionate about preventing future offenses. She “was being abused by a dating partner in high school, and didn’t even know it because [she] wasn’t educated on it.” Speaking up on personal history of abuse and violence is something many people are hesitant to do due to stigmas and fear surrounding the topic, but Portillo wants to provide resources for people who have been through something similar. “I will never be ashamed of admitting [being a survivor],” Portillo said, “because it’s contributed to my passion now.”
Outside of work and school, Portillo is an avid reader and can almost always be found with a book under her arm. This is perhaps what allowed Portillo to write so effectively for the Quaker Campus, as strong readers make great writers. “I’m a big romance girly” she admitted, and “even create[s] book bouquets,” which are arrangements of flowers interspersed with books. Portillo’s bravery, intellect, and commitment to following her passion are no surprise, as she is surrounded by fellow strong women. She cited her mom and cousin Melissa as two of her biggest influences and cheerleaders. Because of her mom’s support, Portillo praised “I know I will succeed in all she puts her heart and mind to.” She looks up to her cousin because “she has succeeded in so much and works so hard.”
Like the other women in her family, Portillo will continue to pursue her passion and support fellow women. In the future, Portillo would like to do more to address poverty, homelessness, mental health, and healthcare, as they intersect heavily with dating violence, while also being prevalent issues themselves. Working for Human Options is “right up [her] alley,” she effused. Furthermore, it allows her to exercise the skills she acquired at Whittier and as part of the QC team. Her bravery and resilience will continue to assist her in following her passion. Her adaptability and perseverance will remain crucial in serving the community. Portillo’s influence on the Quaker Campus will not soon be forgotten.
Photos Courtesy of Alissa Portillo / Quaker Campus
