Jose Carlos Aguilar, a student at Montclair State University, has built his academic career around child advocacy and public policy. Aguilar, who is pursuing a double major in Political Science and Child Advocacy and Policy, has participated in internships and fellowships that have given him experience in government, child welfare agencies, and research.
During his time at Montclair State University, Aguilar worked with the Division of Child Protection and Permanency to help children find safe living arrangements. He also contributed to outreach efforts in the Governor’s Office as part of the Labor Relations and Stakeholders Engagement Unit. Additionally, he supported Professor Emily Douglas’s research on child maltreatment data across the United States. As part of a research team led by Douglas in partnership with the National Safe Haven Alliance, Aguilar helped survey students about their views on safe haven laws; this work will be published later this year.
Aguilar’s experiences also include campaign activities such as phone banking and canvassing for political candidates, as well as participating in programs like America Needs You and the Governor’s Hispanic Fellows Program.
His interest in Montclair State University began when his aunt, Daisy Layme—a 2020 graduate—introduced him to campus life while tutoring him during his middle school years. This early exposure influenced his decision to attend Montclair.
Aguilar credits his high school theater background for helping him develop communication skills useful for public service. He says: “I’ve been able to take that away and put that into the field that I’m in now.” He also follows an improv principle: “I believe in ‘yes, and,’ a technique where you listen and then continue the conversation. That’s important for someone like me who wants to go into policy and public service. Listening to people, gaining their experiences and driving the conversation forward to better serve them – that excites me.”
The COVID-19 pandemic was a turning point for Aguilar’s focus on policy work. “I saw people going through unfortunate circumstances and the federal policies enacted didn’t seem to be in the best interest of the public. I started acquiring more knowledge. I became fascinated by what was going on globally, locally and statewide. I went beyond politics to wonder how policy worked – who drives these things.” He adds: “Seeing leaders pushing forward agendas and policy that I align with, I thought to myself, how can I put in the work to do that?”
As he prepares for graduation in May 2026, Aguilar serves as an Educational Opportunity Fund scholar and holds leadership roles with three student organizations: Child Advocacy and Policy Club, NJAEA Future Educators Association, and Spark Pride Alliance. He states: “If my career allows me to better my community, the State of New Jersey and help others, I’ll feel satisfied.”
Montclair State University is recognized as New Jersey’s largest Hispanic-Serving Institution with more than half its students from underrepresented minority groups (official website). The university spans multiple municipalities including Montclair, Little Falls, Clifton, and Bloomfield (official website), features a 252-acre suburban campus (official website), enrolls over 23,000 students (official website), ranks among the top 30 public institutions nationally according to The Wall Street Journal (official website), and emphasizes educational opportunities integrating liberal arts with professional training (official website).
