Showing Up for Each Other

ALYSSA (SCHMIDT) ROLLINS ’10 recalls her early weeks at University of Portland as quiet and uncertain. That didn’t last long. She soon discovered a close-knit community within ASUP and the Black Student Union. With their support and encouragement, she found her voice and The Bluff became home.

Alyssa grew into a leader by showing up for causes that mattered to her. She served the local community in UP’s first MLK Day of Service and advocated to make The Bluff a smoke-free campus. More than 15 years later, that transformation still shapes how she lives and gives back. “UP is where I became the person I am now.”

Alyssa’s life today is full. She works as a family medicine physician associate, serves on a medical society board, and with her husband Nick—a stay-at-home dad—raises their three-year-old daughter.

She also stays connected to UP as a National Alumni Board member and president of UP’s BIPOC affinity chapter. She wants to show up for students in ways she once needed. She still remembers the impact of a dinner invitation from mentor and UP Regent Kay Toran ’64. The gesture made her feel seen. Now she tries to create that sense of community for today’s students.

“I find joy in networking with other alumni and being here with students,” she explains. “Showing up for each other matters.”

Giving is part of her routine now, too. She makes small, automatic gifts each month that fit into her busy life. “It’s doable,” she says. “And it grows into something even more meaningful over time.”

Her advice to fellow alumni who want to reconnect is simple: start. Attend a game or participate in an academic panel. Support what matters to you. “Whether you give with your time or donate $10 a month,” she says, “you will make a difference.”