Whittier College invites you to share why you give.
To have your testimonial featured, please contact development@whittier.edu.
Raquel Torres-Retana '91 P'24
As a first-generation Latina, I spent my time at Whittier College feeling lost while also discovering who I was. Staff and faculty, such as professors Les Howard and Martin Ortiz, inspired me and provided me with a home and an opportunity to grow. David, my husband, earned his teaching credential here as well. We have both chosen careers in education where we work to support students not unlike ourselves. I am a Dean at Pasadena City College and David is a teacher at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, California.
The Whittier tradition has lived on in our family and we are now proud Poet parents; our youngest child, Viviana, will be graduating this year. Throughout Viviana's time at the College, we have witnessed her academic and personal growth fostered by professors like Danilo Lozano and José Orozco.
I was thrilled to learn that US News & World Report recently ranked Whittier College as a top institution for social mobility, a testament to how this education has empowered many first-generation alumni like myself. I am humbled to be able to give back to Whittier College as a new member of the Board of Trustees and our family has contributed to the Martin Ortiz Fund and the Whittier Now! initiative.