As the vice president of higher education policy and practice at The Education Trust, Dr. Wil Del Pilar brings to the job years of experience in research and policy.
He also brings his own experience as a former student of color. With a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Penn State, a master’s degree from Cal State Dominguez Hills and a bachelor’s from Chapman University, he faced his fair share of doubts early in his academic career.
As an undergraduate at Chapman, Del Pilar balanced coursework against a 30-hour work week and challenges in his personal life. About halfway through college, he considered dropping out.
“I was going through a difficult stretch in my life,” Del Pilar recalled. “I kind of felt like college wasn’t right for me.”
He told one of his professors, Veston Rowe, that he was considering dropping out. Rowe said that would be a mistake and urged Del Pilar to complete his degree. When the final exam for Rowe’s class came around, Del Pilar studied hard to show his appreciation for his mentor’s support. On the day of the test, the young Del Pilar was the first to finish and nearly aced the exam, Rowe said.
Now, as an advocate for low-income students and students of color, Del Pilar works to make sure marginalized young people have a voice in higher education – especially those who, like he once did, struggle to find their place.
“I would challenge the assumptions that we have about our sense of belonging,” he said. He encourages students to critically engage with their academic spaces. “I wish I could say I haven’t suffered from imposter syndrome. I still absolutely do.”
