Meet Your Neighbors, The Porter Family
By Rudy Arispe | Photography by Lynn Yao
Two times the charm for Chelcee Porter and her husband, Dylan, in their permanent move back to Alamo Heights after heeding the calling of the heart.
In 2016, the Odessa natives moved to San Antonio and settled in Alamo Heights so that Chelcee could attend the University of the Incarnate Word Feik School of Pharmacy. After earning her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2020, the couple moved back to West Texas. After four years, however, Chelcee felt that San Antonio was calling their names.
“I told my husband I feel like we need to move back,” she said.
That opportunity came when one day she saw a job posting on an alumni Facebook page for a teaching position at the Feik School of Pharmacy. She jumped at the chance and applied. The Porters, along with their two children, Lainey, 4, and Hudson, 2, moved back to Alamo Heights a year ago.
Chelcee is now an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the pharmacy school, while Dylan is a service advisor at Rivian, an electric vehicle dealership. This time they’re here to stay.
“We’re from a small town, so I love the close-knit community where everyone knows each other,” Chelcee said. “Moving here has given me the opportunity to be even more present with my family. Shifting into academia has allowed me to spend more time with my children. I’m thankful for that.”
As a professor, Chelcee helps coordinate rotations for first through third year students, and teaches applied pharmacy care, and leadership and management, among other courses. “I love being with my students and helping them figure out what they want to do with their careers and providing guidance to help them grow as future pharmacists,” she said.
Her interest in pharmacy was born from her desire to help others, along with her interest in the medical field. She recalls shadowing a local pharmacist back in Odessa while in high school. The positive experience solidified her decision to pursue the same career. “I saw the connections he made with his patients and the impact he had on their lives,” Chelcee said. “I wanted to do that for others as well.”
Chelcee is also the founder of Porter Wellness Functional Medicine Consulting, which focuses on women’s health. She launched the clinic in 2023 after dealing with her own health issues until she found help and hope through functional medicine, which she explained involves examining the root cause of an ailment, why that occurs, and what can be done to restore one’s health.
“I’m looking at what is causing your symptoms and how we can fix that, so you feel better,” she said, adding that she is only one of a handful of pharmacists certified in functional medicine through the Institute of Functional Medicine.
“I had my own health struggles, and functional medicine changed my life,” she said. “I thought people need to know this is an option to feel better, as I found it in my life.”
Some of the common issues she assists her clients with include thyroid dysfunction, gut health, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, infertility, and post-partum depression, to name a few. And nothing gives her more pleasure than to see her patients making tremendous progress with their health.
“I enjoy hearing about their wins and how proud they are of themselves and how excited they are because they finally have answers and feel better and have someone supporting them on their health and wellness journey,” Chelcee said.
As you can imagine, the couple prioritizes healthy living, so the four often spend time outdoors getting plenty of fresh air and sunshine, setting an early example to Lainey and Hudson about living an active and healthy lifestyle. Incidentally, Chelcee and Dylan were high school sweethearts and have known each other since elementary school. They’ll celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary in January.
