Emily Portillo is as laser-focused as it gets.
The Hastings senior has been around the Bears swim program since her freshman season, sort of by accident.
“When I was a freshman, I received my schedule and it had swim on it,” she laughed. “I didn’t remember signing up for swim, but I went to the class, saw the pool and just jumped into the program. I didn’t even know we had a natatorium at school. I’ve stuck with it ever since and just love being in the water.”
Last season, she took a bit of a break from the actual pool and served as the team manager.
“I was taking so many dual-credit, accelerated classes and had a job, so I couldn’t commit to practice,” she said. “I asked coach to be the manager where I could keep the team organized, help out at meets and I also swim when my team needed me.
“I’m a very committed person so when I start something, I finish it. I’m proud to be a part of something like swim for four years. It’s one of my biggest passions.”
Outside of the pool, Portillo has another passion that she hopes to make a career out of.
“I love to sketch,” she said. “It allows my mind to go wild. Whenever I get an extra minute, I’m drawing. I want to go to UT (Texas) or UTSA and study architecture. I am very headstrong, so I feel like that will be my future.”
With an unmatched work ethic in place, nurtured by her time in the pool, Portillo is on her way to building her future.