A recognizable figure to the vast majority of returning Trinity Prep students, Stephanie Portalatin was the substitute teacher you prayed for upon entry to class.
This year, Portalatin returns to Trinity as Innovation and Design instructor, a position that she said she could not be happier to fulfill.
“This is my dream job,” Portalatin said. “I came to Trinity for a new opportunity and love the strong bond that exists between the students and faculty.”
As a student at Northeastern University, Portalatin earned her Master in Digital Communications and Media, hoping that one day she would be able to fulfill her dream of working with students in the classroom.
According to Portalatin, she likes to live by the famous words of Maya Angelou, and apply them in her daily life to gain a wider perspective of the world.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Portalatin said she puts these words into action by making sure she is always there to attend to the needs of students, whether it be in the form of instruction or just chat.
“The reason why students like me is because I connect to them on their level,” said Portalatin. “It’s tough growing up… I know that the students are going through a lot of stuff because I’ve been through it too.”
In addition to creating strong bonds with her students, Portalatin’s individual interests span a wide variety of topics — including rock and roll, Star Wars, movies, sports, technology, holidays, and even the construction of robots she makes entirely out of legos.
Portalatin said that she has many goals for the year, but her main priority is to get students truly interested in the material she teaches.
“If the students like what I teach and enjoy doing their work, it will be a great experience fosr everyone,” said Portalatin. “… I am looking forward to a new year full of different opportunities, which is why I came to Trinity.”
