Victor Cadilla’s life has always been positively impacted by the teachers he’s had and the schools he has attended. However, when he became a teacher himself, he realized the impact that educational policies can have on students and schools.
Wanting to learn more about how these policies are made, he enrolled in the NC State College of Education to earn a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development educational evaluation and policy analysis concentration. Now, as he prepares to graduate in May with his degree, he is looking forward to his future work in creating educational opportunities for all students.
Meet Victor:
Hometown: Durham, N.C.
Why did you choose the NC State College of Education?
I chose NC State because of its land-grant mission. My hope was that attending NC State for my doctoral degree would prepare me to make a meaningful impact for students and schools. Now that I’m about to graduate, I can say with confidence that the College of Education at NC State helped me achieve this goal.
Why did you choose your major or concentration?
When I was a teacher, I recognized that education policies have a big impact on the opportunities students have and how teachers, administrators and schools help students succeed in school and beyond, but I didn’t know how these policies were made and how to know whether they were effective. I chose EEPA to fill that gap in my knowledge and to help me learn how I could apply that knowledge towards policymaking and policy research in the future.
What’s your next step? What are your career goals after graduation?
I am starting a postdoc position with [Associate Professor] Jenn Ayscue at NC State focused on developing concrete ways to make dual-language immersion programs accessible to all families. My long-term goals are to continue doing research about how education policies can be developed to ensure equal opportunities for all students.
How has the College of Education prepared you for that next step?
The professors in the College of Education have been the biggest help toward reaching my future goals. I’ve benefited from their expertise in courses and their willingness to let me join different research projects where I’ve been able to apply much of what I learned in coursework and how to conduct my own research. Most importantly, the professors and administrators in the college are just willing to help and are interested in making sure students are successful. This, I think, is the best attribute of the College of Education.
Why did you choose education?
My life has been positively and meaningfully shaped by the schools I attended, and I want to make sure others have those same opportunities.