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Wil Del Pilar
Wil Del Pilar
00:42

Wil Del Pilar

EdTrust

Costa Mesa, CA USA

"Whether you go to college or not is a decision—it’s not the decision."

Career Roadmap

Wil's work combines: Education, Non-Profit Organizations, and Helping People

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Day In The Life

Senior Vice President

I use research, policy advocacy, and coalition-building to create equitable opportunities in education.

02:37

Day In The Life Of A Senior Vice President Of An Education Advocacy Organization

My Day to Day

My days revolve around creating better opportunities for students. I start with research, analyzing data to identify gaps in access and equity across education. From there, I collaborate with coalitions of students, parents, and advocates to push for policies that close these gaps. My days are primarily filled with meetings. It’s fulfilling work, knowing every policy change brings us closer to ensuring every student gets the support they deserve.

Skills & Education

Advice for getting started

I went to a Title I high school in a low-income community. Because of my counselor's implicity bias about students like me, he didn't think I'd need SAT prep. I took it upon myself to prepare and get myself to college. Now, I work to create better opportunities for underserved students like me.

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Communications

    Chapman University

  • Graduate Degree

    Counseling Education

    California State University Dominguez Hills

  • Doctorate

    Higher Education Administration

    Penn State University

Learn more about different paths to this career

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life has been direct

  • 1.

    Growing up in a low-income community in Carson, California, I attended a Title I school where opportunity felt like a distant dream.

  • 2.

    Despite discouragement from my school counselor, I discovered a love for reading that fueled my self-guided journey to higher education.

  • 3.

    I prepped for the SAT with a borrowed book while also working full-time after high school, charting a path no one expected for me.

  • 4.

    I stepped onto my college campus for the first time on the very day classes began, navigating everything on my own.

  • 5.

    College was a struggle for me and I was considering dropping out, but I connected with a dean who introduced me to work-study, shaping both my education and career trajectory.

  • 6.

    My early work in college admissions showed me how many students, like me, lacked resources and support.

  • 7.

    Motivated by personal struggles, I transitioned to education policy to enact systemic change for underrepresented students.

  • 8.

    Today, as a senior vice president at EdTrust, I lead efforts to close opportunity gaps and advocate for equitable education for all.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Teachers:

    You don't need SAT prep. You won't be going to college.

  • How I responded:

    I went to a Title I high school in a low-income community. Because of my counselor's implicity bias about students like me, he didn't think I'd need SAT prep. I took it upon myself to prepare and get myself to college. Now, I work to create better opportunities for underserved students like me.

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

Click to expand

  • I didn't really know anything about college. I had to navigate it all on my own. I struggled quite a bit and considered dropping out, but I fortunately connected with a dean who introduced me to work-study and influenced me to persevere.

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