Mario Ortiz
College Counselor
Beacon Academy (IL)
What drew you to the world of college admission counseling?
After I decided to make a career change and devote my energy to helping young people, I found that my penchant for storytelling, connecting people, and helping youth launch into adulthood led me to my role as a school and college counselor.
What is your favorite part of the job?
Helping a student have an “ah-ha” moment when they see details of their story click in their personal statement.
How has NACAC played a role in your career?
From my first day on the job, NACAC (and by extension the Illinois chapter — IACAC), helped me connect with a community of wise, funny-as-hell, real people doing amazing work in our field. I love connecting and re-connecting with so many folks in NACAC.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our profession today?
There is a disconnect between expectations and reality of what education, secondary and postsecondary, means in forming an informed citizenry and economically viable professions. We want and need education to be so many things, yet we too often fail to provide the means.
When you aren’t working, what do you like to do?
I have lots of hobbies, but what occupies my mind the most is what to fix next on my nearly 60-year-old classic car.
If you could play any fictional character, who would it be and why?
Don Quixote — a character dismissed for being “mad,” yet someone who embodies the most human and humane impulses of being alive.
Published Jan. 5, 2026