Emileah Aguilar, MPH

After receiving my master’s in public health from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, I certainly never imagined working in the private sector, let alone in disability insurance. I’ve always had a strong passion for helping others, and I envisioned a future shaping international health care, advancing maternal health in inner-cities, or contributing to longevity studies. Having started my career working in the Philadelphia public school system, and later moving onto the Neuroradiology department at the University of Pennsylvania, I was well on my way to achieving this future. My change of focus and ensuing path to PearsonRavitz was propelled by a sudden and very personal event: my father’s disability.  While driving home one evening, my father was rear-ended at a red light by a distracted driver traveling 45 miles/hour. At the time of the accident, my parents spared me many of the details; but I’ve come to learn that it was only thanks to a strong disability insurance policy that my family didn’t lose everything. My father was able to focus on his recovery full time, without worrying about the mortgage, other expenses, or whether my mother could ever retire. My 6-year-old brother still received birthday presents and had all of the necessary items for school. My family’s financial world was shaken, but it held. When I met Stephanie and Scott, I was intrigued but skeptical; insurance had never interested me as a profession. I needed to believe my work mattered and wasn’t sure I could find honest purpose in the insurance industry. To help introduce me to her process, Stephanie had me sit in on a few of her calls and what I heard shocked me. She wasn’t selling insurance; she was educating people on how to protect themselves and their families. She told people to keep their existing policy if she believed she couldn’t provide something better. She fought for and ultimately changed medical underwriting outcomes.

I saw an opportunity to join a company truly shifting the way insurance is handled and knew I needed to be a part of it.

I’ve advocated for proper coverage for PearsonRavitz’s clients for 5 years now. It’s incredibly fulfilling to be able to thoroughly educate my clients on the importance of certain elements of their disability policies. My primary goal is to treat my clients the way my father was treated; offering education and the best possible level of coverage for when it’s needed most.