The Illinois Education and Career Success Network’s 12th annual conference, themed Building the Future We Want: Increasing Equitable Postsecondary Attainment, was held on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, in Champaign, Illinois.
Keynote speaker Wil Del Pilar, PhD, senior vice president at EdTrust, gave an opening plenary and concurrent session that explored systemic opportunity gaps affecting students of color and students from low-income communities in Illinois, using data-driven insights to highlight trends and inform actionable solutions at institutional, state, and federal levels. Following his remarks, he spoke with Kyle Westbrook, PhD, Executive Director of Education Systems Center at NIU, to discuss equity-centered practices to advance postsecondary attainment.
The lunch plenary highlighted student voices. As we consider early outcomes from the College and Career Pathway Endorsements system, Illinois State University student Amina Omanic and Kelli Appel, Director of Recruitment and Retention for ISU’s College of Education, told the story of ISU awarding a scholarship to Amina based on her earning an endorsement. Then, members of the Success Network’s Student Advisory Council shared insights on strategies to prepare students for life after high school.
Find more conference resources at ilsuccessnetwork.org/2025-conference.
