Fourth-year medical student Aileen Portugal is a passionate advocate for the LGBTQ community. In 2016, she helped found the first LGBTQ Support Group at SIU School of Medicine. ASPECTS: Tell us about your childhood. Aileen Portugal: I grew up in beautiful, sunny San Diego. One of the most awesome characteristics of growing up in San Diego – besides the weather, the beach and the food – is that we are only 20 minutes away from the USA-Mexico border. So for me, visiting my grandma was probably like it was for most people – a short car drive away. It wasn’t until I was 8 or so, that I looked up