Hillary is originally from Empire, CA, a small agricultural town in Northern California's Central Valley. She pursued her bachelor's degree at University of California, Santa Barbara in Environmental Studies with a minor in English. As a first-generation college student, Hillary has always been interested in the functions of higher education; she is especially drawn to understanding the ways in which social identity shape postsecondary access, experiences, and outcomes. In June 2023, she received her Master of Arts (M.A.) degree from Columbia University's Teachers College in Higher and Postsecondary Education.

In her free time, Hillary enjoys exploring the greater NYC area with her husband, Nate, listening to a true crime podcast, or curling up with a good book and her two cats, Rodan and Ghidorah.