Mentee Spotlight: Darlyn Portillo

Darlyn2Where do you study, and what is your favorite subject?
I’m in 12th grade at E. L. Haynes high school and my favorite subject right now would be AP calculus.

How has being in Minds Matter impacted you and your future goals?
Minds Matter has impacted me in a lot of ways. It helped me bring my SAT scores up, which is really good. I probably went from the 900 to 1000+ range really quickly. It has also impacted what I want to do in the future. Over time I learned that I’d like to be a teacher because Minds Matter changed the way I see interacting with other people and students.

What were some of the biggest things you learned from your mentors?
I think the biggest things I learned from Lisa and Spencer are how to manage my time and how to interact with people effectively. They have had a huge impact on me. I thank Minds Matter and them for that.

Do you have a favorite Minds Matter memory?
There’s a lot, but I think what I really like is when we come together as a group, and sometimes put school and academics aside and just talk about us as human beings on earth and aspects of our daily life.

What schools have you applied to and what’s your dream school?
My dream school is Barnard College. I was able to attend it through Minds Matter when I was sent through the summer program. That’s how I figured out that it was my dream school. I’ve applied to eight schools and Minds Matter made that fairly easy for me. They walked me through the process and helped me ensure I had everything like writing essays done before deadlines.

Would you recommend Minds Matter and if so, why?
I would recommend Minds Matter. When I was going into the second year of the program, I actually spoke to my class about the program. Minds Matter is just great. My sister is going to high school and I told her, “You’re going to do Minds Matter. You’re going to take 4 hours of your day on Saturdays, in the morning and you’re going to go do it.” It helps you personally, academically, and it helps you see your path.

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