Rebecca Orosco de Porrata was born in a barrio in Southern California. Although her alcoholic father was frequently absent from the home because of his work as a longshoreman, her mother was always present to guide and encourage her, and remains her role model to this day. Ms. Porrata studied nursing at Creedmore State Hospital School of Nursing Adelphi University, and at Sonoma State University. She worked as a psychiatric nurse at hospitals in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and California. She also developed a practical nursing program in New Jersey for low income and minority women. Through the course, the women gained entry-level health care job skills.

When she moved to West Marin, Ms. Porrata became aware of the growing Hispanic population’s unmet needs – the health problems, community isolation, language barrier and illiteracy. As a public health nurse, she worked with the local community to integrate that population and solve those problems. In her position as Health Services Coordinator at the West Marin Family Center, based at the West Marin School, she works closely with a variety of organization to identify outreach strategies for the Hispanic community and to assist them in identifying their own needs.

Her daughter Alexandra is a graduate of the nursing program at Dominican College and her daughter Yolanda currently attends San Francisco State University.