​WHERE ARE THEY NOW? ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: JORGE PORTORREAL ‘17

Photo Courtesy of Mark Wyville

Jorge, of Union, N.J., was a three-year varsity letterman at cornerback and receiver and a
member of the 2014 state championship team. He holds the single-season reception record with
58 catches in 2016 and is second on the all-time career list (81). Jorge also started on the basketball team for three years and was captain as a senior.

He continued his success in college, catching 183 passes over five seasons at Lehigh
University and Youngstown State (2021). He was a three-time all-Patriot League honoree and
earned two degrees: a bachelor’s in finance and real estate (Lehigh) and an MBA in leadership
(Youngstown).

Jorge is currently a senior strategy consultant at EY (Ernst & Young) in New York City.

---

​Q: What made you go to Prep?
A: I knew I wanted to go to a private school with a good mix of academics and athletics. In
addition, the camaraderie I felt on my “Freshman for a Day” put the icing on the cake as
well as the motto of “Men for Others.” It was a no-brainer decision for me. 

Q: What is your most lasting memory of Prep?
A: There are so many memories that come to mind. The friendships, state championships,
hanging out at lunch in the Commons, and even Prom are great memories. I guess if I
were to choose one, I’d have to go with the State Championship in 2014.

Q: How important was football to your prep experience?
A: The value of football was a lot bigger than the sport itself. Discipline, brotherhood, trust,
camaraderie, work ethic, and respect. Football teaches the understanding of
perseverance and outcomes. It taught me that positive inputs result in positive
outcomes. The Prep coaches taught me how to be a responsible and respectable young
man. 

Q: What’s your greatest Prep football memory?
A: Our trip to Ireland in 2016 when we beat Blessed Trinity, a powerhouse from Atlanta. Our
team had some great memories from that trip which we still laugh about now. Most of all,
we handled business. I scored three touchdowns in the first half, it was a great win for
the program, and we showcased our abilities on a national scale.

Also, the day before, our team was able to watch Georgia Tech against Boston College
in Ireland. That was awesome because BC’s running back was Jon Hilliman (Prep ’14),
who dominated in the game. Our senior class played with Jon during our freshman year
at Prep and watching his dreams come to life was eye-opening for us. It sparked energy
in our team for the season.

Q: What are you doing now? 
A: I’ve been working at EY since June of 2022. I started as a business strategy analyst and
was promoted to senior strategy consultant this summer.

Q: What is your job like?
A: It's similar to football in a way. I'm in a group of eight consultants, we help our clients
strategize their wealth management capabilities and planning. Just like football, each
team member has a role and needs to play their part. 

Q: How has your Prep experience helped you in the real world?
A: It has shaped my experience a lot. Prep taught me how to maneuver in a room of smart-
minded people and how to be positively competitive. I compete every day regardless of
the objective, it could be as simple as beating out a competitor or finishing three bottles
of water before a friend.

Also, the camaraderie at St. Peter's showed me what good leadership looks like and that
carried over to my college experience and now my career in business. It taught me how
to be a leader. 

Q: Any additional thoughts?
A: Yes, I want to mention a very impactful person at Prep, Trish Fitzpatrick. Consistently,
she took time to get to know me and gave me a sense of belonging. Over the years, that
relationship has continued to grow, and I am grateful to have her in my life as a role
model and a friend. I continue to use her as an example of how I treat and interact with
others.

Photo Courtesy Mark Wyville

---

This blog was written by Randy Williams, P'27 who also conducted the interview.​