Portia Cook

Portia Cook is a sophomore majoring in journalism and media communication at CSU. She also is a 31-year-old single mother of two who has overcome several generations of familial poverty and addiction to create a path to success and unlimited potential for herself and her children. Portia was five years old when she first came to the CSU campus.

Because of the issues her mother struggled with, her grandmother, who enrolled in CSU’s journalism program, brought Portia with her when she came to campus, including taking her to classes. This had a profound impact on the little girl, as she recalls thinking to herself, “When I grow up, I will be smart and a journalist, just like my grandma.”

She recalls the pride she felt while watching her grandmother, Mirna Miranda (B.S., ’95), graduate. These days Portia works at KCSU as a news producer, is sports producer for volleyball, and does audio engineering for news broadcasts. In what operates as a tribute to both Portia and her grandmother, she was awarded the CSU Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship. Established in 2005, the Legacy Scholarship is funded by proceeds from the Colorado State University license plates program and through direct donations.