By Lucy DeLuca
Sergio Portesan’s office is as warm and inviting as his personality. As I sat down to talk to him about his work as the Residential Life Coordinator for Loomis Hall, he offered me some jelly beans from the large jar on his desk.
As the RLC of Loomis Hall, Portesan has made it his priority to create a home for current students. His inclination to help and support fellow classmates began during his sophomore year at Colorado College after he became a Resident Advisor at the recommendation of a friend.
“When I was interviewing and preparing for it, I got really excited. I thought, ‘this will be really fun.’ Then I got the offer in Loomis and enthusiastically accepted. I loved it so much [that] I did it [for] a second year … It kind of showed me how one person can make that big difference.”
Today, Portesan loves his job as an RLC for the same reason he loved being an RA back then: the interactions with students.
“[The best part of my job is] getting to work with awesome students … I don’t think there’s a day that I don’t have an awesome conversation with someone that makes me question my existing beliefs.”
During his free time, Portesan, an athlete with an incredible work ethic, often bikes to the Incline in Manitou Springs.
“I did it on Sunday,” he said casually.
When he is not working or biking, he can still be found outside. “Those people you see running around campus? That’s me,” he said.
However, Portesan’s notable athletic ability is not the only quality that makes him unique as an RLC. As a former CC student, he knows what it is like to tour the campus for the first time as a prospective student, go through the application process, and struggle through a tough class on the Block Plan. When deciding which school was right for him, Portesan fell in love with CC from the first time he visited.
“From the second we got off the plane, everything was just perfect. It felt like home. Everyone was friendly. There was no traffic on I-25. Everything was so perfect,” he said.
Following graduation, Portesan was still an active member of the CC community who cheered on the Tigers every chance he got. While cheering, he strove to ensure that hockey games were an environment everyone, including young children, could enjoy.
“[As a student], I prided myself on my PG heckling,” he said.
Still a passionate supporter, Portesan hopes the Tigers can find a way to hang on to the Gold Pan. “I’d [also] love to see the student section of the new arena full. It was a huge part of my college experience. I know [that] not everyone is a huge hockey fan, but it’s fun to be a part of the energy.”
As someone who survived many challenging classes himself, Portesan’s advice for current students is to simply relax.
“Have the perspective to know that in a month or two, the stress of that block won’t matter. The friendships, the learning, and the connections you make will last, but the stress of the block will pass. You don’t need to hold yourself to unrealistically high standards — just focus on the whole picture.”
Anyone can stop by Portesan’s office to talk about the time he biked from Denver to Colorado Springs in a single day, fun concerts he’s been to, or his time in Japan. Whether you are stressed about a class, an internship, a fight with a friend, or you simply want to talk about music, Portesan is an asset not only to Loomis Hall residents, but to all students at CC.