Hansel Portorreal: Business Administration

Freshmen students are among the busiest on a college campus. They have work and classes, friends and family, clubs and activities — and they’re doing it all while acclimating to a brand new environment.

All of this change can seem daunting, but for Hansel Portorreal ’22 the key to success is a positive outlook. After losing both his parents at a young age, Portorreal said he realized something important.

“You can let the things that happen to you bring you down and make you negative, or you can be determined to keep going and make sure you succeed,” said Portorreal.

The beginning of his first semester of college has been an adjustment, but the business major isn’t deterred, “It’s just getting used to the time management. Figuring out how things work, how much time homework is going to take, it’s all manageable,” he explained.

Setting a plan and sticking to it is one of the things that makes Portorreal a natural leader. In high school, he was the one keeping his friends on track and focused. It wasn’t enough for Portorreal to graduate, he wanted his friends to succeed as well.

“I want to lead generations and start something new. It’s not just about dreams, it’s about doing and making those dreams happen,” says Portorreal.

Although he only has a few weeks of the fall 2018 semester under his belt, Portorreal has a little advice for his fellow Mavericks:

“Don’t worry about what other people think. Focus on what you want to achieve and put the work in, you’ll figure out your path along the way.”