Wil Vargas

Wil is a descendant of the Philippine diaspora who uses they or siya pronouns. “Siya” is the gender-neutral pronoun used in the Tagalog language from the Philippines when referring to all individuals.  As a Rutgers double graduate of Douglass College and the School of Social Work, Wil has returned for their triple! They are passionate about holistic, empowering, and liberatory healing that follows the needs of the person, groups, and communities served. Wil currently works at the Rutgers Counseling Center (CAPS) as a Community Based Counselor embedded at The Center for Social Justice & LGBTQ Communities and Douglass Residential College. As a first-generation immigrant settler, first non-traditional American-educated, and first western-trained mental health therapist in their lineage, they endeavor to continue serving some of Rutgers’ most marginalized students. Their advocacy and collaborations consist of offering person-first, trauma-informed, gender-affirming, and recovery-oriented prevention, support, and guidance. Through the DSW program, they aim to un/re/learn knowledge, hone skills, and be part of the larger movements that can enrich the clinical scholarship within social work to better serve our BIPOC 2SLGBTQIA+ siblings.