Whitney Pitalo

Whitney entered care at the age of two due to her parents struggles with addiction and providing for the needs of six children. She has experienced learning challenges due to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Whitney experienced kinship care then was placed in her first foster home - where she was later adopted along with four of her siblings.
While at the University of Southern California she received many Honors including the Dean’s List, multiple athletic awards and scholarships. She was an Alpha Gamma Delta Scholar, National Society of Collegiate Scholar, and Phi Sigma Theta Honor Society member. Whitney has interned at The Right Way Foundation, and Family Building Blocks. She volunteers as a Reading Tutor for Reading Partners of LA, serves as an Ambassador for multiple programs and the Graduate Assistant/Assistant Coach for the Women's Soccer Team.
Her dream is to create a sustainable social enterprise that helps foster youth. However, before she creates her own business she wants to gain experience in nonprofits, government, and corporations. Currently, she is pursuing the Master’s of Business Administration at Willamette where she is able to learn about all three of those areas. Whitney is in the stages of the interview process with Friends of the Children- Marketing, Not-for-profit, and Systems Management Internship. She volunteers for Family Building Blocks and will be an intern for them next summer.
Quote: "Not unto ourselves alone are we born" she loves this quote because it's not only Willamette's motto, but because it reminds her of the people who rescued her, those who invested in her, and her commitment as a citizen to give back to the community that saved her.”