Jeison Blanco Portillo personifies the type of hardworking, considerate and fun-loving student that Huntington High School has always been known for over the years. The junior is always looking to improve himself and he’s dreaming big when it comes to his future.
Mr. Blanco Portillo was born in El Salvador. He came to Huntington as a ten year old. Since then he has become a loyal and valued friend to a great group of classmates and teammates.
“Some of the courses I’m especially interested in this year are Algebra/Trigonometry, US History and Earth Science,” Mr. Blanco Portillo said. “I’m looking forward to working with teachers Michael Graziano, Michael Gavilan and Jordan Schessler. My other teachers are amazing, too.”
The teenager loves sports. He plays on the Blue Devil soccer team and runs with the track and field squad. Mr. Blanco Portillo hopes to play soccer on the college level.
“Some of my closest friends are Diego Martinez, Daniel Alzate, Carlos Martinez, Joe Rodriguez, Roberto Contreras, Osiris Shepherd, Cristian Avelar, Jollet Ruiz Meza, Evelyn Garcia, Joel Alvarez, Michael Araujo and Enri Reyes,” Mr. Blanco Portillo said.
Mr. Gavilan has mentored the teenager over the years. “I’ve been really close to him,” Mr. Blanco Portillo said. “He’s one of my favorite teachers. Ms. [Mercedes] Pena, Mr. [Michael] Schwendemann and Ms. [Jean] Czerniawski have always been there for me. They give me advice to always do better with my work in class and to do my homework and I didn’t always listen and now I regret it.”
Mr. Blanco Portillo’s advice to incoming freshmen? “Always do your work and study a lot because it will help you improve in your class,” he said. “But most important, have respect for your teachers and classmates. If you are respectful to your classmates and teachers they will respect you as well. If a teacher gives you advice, you should really take it and be thankful about it. Do your work because later on in the year when you see your progress report, you won’t be happy about it if you aren’t doing your work. I wish I could go back to last year and actually pay attention and do my work.”
The junior hasn’t focused on college yet and he is unsure of possible careers, although if forced to choose today, he said he is interested in mechanical engineering. “I would also like to play soccer in college,” Mr. Blanco Portillo said. “I would love to become a professional soccer player.”
The teenager is a proud member of Huntington’s Class of 2022 and he’s working hard to be able to graduate on time.
“My experience at Huntington has been an amazing three years,” Mr. Blanco Portillo said. “I really look forward to doing well in my classes, having fun with my classmates and helping some students that are new to Huntington. I also can’t wait for soccer season to start. We will become champions.”