A native of Argentina, Maria del Pilar Estevez has become a mainstay on campus, working as a Student Ambassador and Managing Editor at The Schoolcraft Connection newspaper.
Maria del Pilar Estevez traveled more than 5,000 miles to find a college that felt like home.
A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Estevez originally attended college in her home country. But then the COVID-19 pandemic struck and classes got canceled at the beginning of the semester, throwing her future into uncertainty.
After reassessing, Estevez applied to work as an au pair, being connected with a family in Northville. Looking at ESL classes in the area, she discovered Schoolcraft College and took classes.
She then fell in love with the community.
“Since I got here, I’ve always been at Schoolcraft,” she said. “It’s been five years and I’m still here.
“I always loved this community and I always love giving back.”
Today, it’s hard to not see Estevez all over campus. Since enrolling in her courses, she’s worked as a student ambassador, giving tours to prospective students and their families. She’s been involved in the International Student Club and worked as the managing and layout editor at The Schoolcraft Connection newspaper. Her work at the Connection was so impactful that it earned her the Student Employee of the Year for 2025-2026.
Helping change the culture of the student newspaper is her biggest accomplishment during her time at Schoolcraft.
“I just love how we’ve created this new Connection environment to what it is now,” she said. “I just love it.”
Art has always been a big part of Estevez’s life, so when it came time to find a subject to study, she gravitated to Computer Graphics Technology. She will receive her Associate of Applied Science at Schoolcraft College’s 61st Annual Commencement Ceremony May 9, where she will serve as a student marshal.
Her love of Schoolcraft has her staying for a short time after commencement: in addition to her AAS degree, Estevez plans on earning one more associate degree, this time in business. Her hope is to get into the business side of artwork.
“Working at the Connection, it opened up doors when it came to managing and how things work,” she said. “The team that is here, I hired most of them. So I thought maybe I should go in business and do management or human resources.”
Once she wraps up her second associate degree later this year, her plan is to stay locally and attend either Wayne State University or Eastern Michigan University to earn her bachelor’s degree in business administration. After, it’s Estevez’s goal to remain in the United States, specifically the Great Lakes State, and find work.
“I love Michigan and I don’t want to move. The only bad thing is the winters,” she said. “I wouldn’t change Michigan for anything. I’m so glad I ended up here.”