As the policy lead on P-12 Pathways to Postsecondary Success, Aileen leads EdTrust’s efforts to strengthen alignment, access, and success for all students across P-12 and higher education, with a focus on advancing equity for learners who have been underserved by our nation’s education systems.
Before joining EdTrust, Aileen served as senior policy advisor at the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), where she advanced the organization’s federal policy agenda and supported state advocacy and implementation efforts. Earlier in her career, she held the position of professional staff member on the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor under then-Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) and advanced education and workforce policy priorities at the bipartisan Penn Hill Group.
A proud Title I school graduate and Pell Grant recipient, Aileen earned a bachelor’s degree in media studies with a minor in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley.
Favorite Sports Team
My grandmother says she learned English listening to Vin Scully call Dodgers games — I’m proud to bleed Dodger blue!
What drew you to education?
Growing up attending public schools in both Shanghai, China, and Southern California, I saw firsthand how inequities in resources and policy shape opportunity. Those experiences drive my commitment to building education systems that uphold education equity as a fundamental civil right and connect every learner to meaningful postsecondary pathways for success.
