For Communications Fellow Mike Guillen, Student Stories Are at the Heart of Systems Change

Mike Guillen, the Campaign’s Communications Fellow, is outgoing, charming, and quick to share his thoughts. So it might come as a surprise that he describes his educational journey as “lonely” in addition to being “rewarding.” 

Growing up, Mike knew that higher education could open doors and break cycles. “For me, college has always been more than earning a degree. It has been about honoring my parents’ sacrifices, creating a different future for myself, and eventually serving the community that raised me.” 

For Mike, “eventually” has already started. In addition to his Campaign fellowship, he also interns with the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies at UC Irvine.  

The UCI internship, Mike says, “has given me a closer look at how academic programs and curriculum shape the undergraduate experience. Student success is not only about individual effort, but also about how institutions design programs, respond to student needs, and create pathways that help students persist. That experience connects directly to my work with the Campaign because both roles center students and the systems that impact them. At UCI, I see how policies and academic structures affect students on campus. At the Campaign, I see how those same issues connect to larger statewide conversations about access, equity, affordability, and completion.” 

As a member of the Campaign’s Communications team, he translates detailed policy updates into information that students and educational advocates can use—in the form of social media, toolkits, report designs, and more.  

“A lot of my work has centered on helping bring our projects to life visually and through storytelling.” He has especially enjoyed the opportunity to interview other students. “It reminds me that the work is not only about policy or reports, but about the students whose experiences give that work meaning.” 

At a time when college is increasingly expensive, the job market is uncertain, and the federal administration has attacked higher education, the Campaign has prioritized shifting the narrative around what it means to earn a degree (while also advocating for reforms that make a college education more achievable).  

Mike’s communications training, alongside his personal experiences, equip him to speak to why college is a worthy investment.  

“College gives students the space to grow into who they are becoming. It opens the door to new ideas, new communities, and new possibilities that may not have felt accessible before. For students like me, college can make a future that once felt distant feel real and within reach.” 

Invest in the next generation of higher education advocates.

Mike’s experience shows what becomes possible when students have opportunities to bring their voices, experiences, and talents into the work of changing higher education. Through the Steve Weiner and David Wolf Founder Fellowship Program, the Campaign provides emerging leaders with hands-on experience advancing college opportunity and equity while developing the skills to continue making an impact in their communities.

Your support helps create opportunities for fellows like Mike to learn, lead, and help shape a more student-centered future for higher education.