Giving the commencement speech at the health professions ceremony is a way for Dayana Portillo to take risks while also serving as a role model.
“I wanted to step outside my comfort zone,” said Portillo, who is earning her degree in registered nursing today. “When I’ve been to graduation ceremonies, my own and my sister’s, I’ve always looked up to people who went outside their comfort zone to give the address. I’ve never seen someone in my Hispanic community, so I wanted to be that kind of inspiration.”
After graduating from Tuscarora High School in Leesburg, Portillo started the nursing program at ECPI University, but left when her mother developed health issues so she could work to help her family financially. After working as a certified nurse aide for five years, she took a position at Winchester Medical Center.
“I was looking for something I could afford,” Portillo said of enrolling at Laurel Ridge. “I wanted to continue my goal of graduating with my RN and the college was close by.”
Although she and her husband recently bought a house in Martinsburg, West Virginia, they had been living in Winchester.
“The nursing program was challenging, but it’s something I feel proud of at the end because it’s something I really wanted to do, something I was striving for and working for,” she said. “To finally complete it was a goal that I was proud to accomplish.”
Professors Kate Regula and Elizabeth Marshall were particular favorites of Portillo’s.
“They were really sweet,” she said. “They were always open to help out, always available with any uplifting words of acknowledgement and to answer any questions. I have enjoyed the entire program. I feel like all the instructors, everyone that I have reached out to has been very open. They’ve all been very helpful in every way possible.”
Portillo currently works as a clinical technician at the medical center.
“I work hand in hand with the nurses,” she said, adding she is “very excited” to transition into a registered nursing role.
After taking a few months off from studying, Portillo plans to transfer into an online program to earn her bachelor’s degree in nursing.
“I love learning,” she said. “I think ultimately I would like to become a charge nurse or manager of a unit.”
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.