Chicago Heights Woman Youngest Grad At Western IL University

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL — A Chicago Heights woman has made history. According to Western Illinois University (WIU), 19-year-old Esmeralda Portillo is the youngest woman in WIU's history to graduate from the higher education facility.

WIU said Portillo, earned degrees in law enforcement and justice administration (LEJA) during the University's Commencement weekend on May 14-16. Since graduating, Portillo has been working as a records clerk at the Harvey Police Department, as her age currently prohibits her to work a career position. According to the university, the graduate will begin working toward a master's degree in fall 2021 at Michigan State University.

"I knew since my early teenage years that I wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement; however, my only issue was I didn't know exactly where," Portillo said. "I was stuck between wanting to travel and wanting to stay close to home. It wasn't until I was explaining my frustrations to my counselor, and he immediately suggested WIU."

While Portillo was making her way through high school, she began taking courses at her local community college. She graduated from both her high school and community college in 2019, at age 17, where she received her associate's degree in information technology-networking, according to the university.

During her time at WIU, Portillo said her passion for criminal justice was enhanced by her experience with professors who are former police officers, legal professionals, judges and attorneys, the university said.

"I felt like I was learning through their experiences, and listening to their stories and experiences in the field, made my passion grow stronger," Portillo said. "Every professor is different, as well as every class."

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