Danielle Nicole Aguilar

Danielle Nicole Aguilar (she/her) is the granddaughter of Mirna Prieto, Maria del Refugia Aguilar, Jose Prieto, and Rafael Aguilar. She is the proud daughter of Lorraine Y. Velasquez and Antonio Aguilar. Hailing from Ontario, California, Danielle comes from a working-class family. Danielle studied Feminist and Black Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara as a Pell Grant recipient and first-generation college student. She enrolled at the University of Vermont after graduation, earning a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration. 

Danielle was a leader in residential life, orientation, multicultural affairs, and LGBTQ student services before pursuing a PhD in Educational Foundations, Policy, and Practice at the University of Colorado Boulder. Danielle employs critical theory and community-based research approaches to disrupt the relationship between carcerality and youth. Danielle aspires to be a tenured professor at a minority-serving institution to uplift and mentor young scholars. When she’s not doing transformative research, Danielle enjoys being a foodie, vibing at concerts, and embarking on adventures.