By Orian Gaston
Danielle Pillans is a devoted individual with a multifaceted calling, a passion for educating, and a commitment to serving her community. She is a patchwork quilt of nods to all things valued in Corsicana. Blazing her own legacy, she is busy supermom. Professor Pillans teaches speech and public speaking at Navarro College, dedicates much of her time to various boards in the community and commits endless energy to sharing her love of Jesus.
Danielle Pillans comes from a family of educators, with her father being a Navarro College professor and her mother serving as a public-school teacher. Inspired by her family’s commitment to education, Pillans followed in her father’s footsteps and became a speech and public speaking professor at Navarro College.
Pillans graduated from Baylor University in Waco with her under grad degree in Theater performance and non-profit performance, and her master’s degree in art in professional development. Immediately after graduating Pillans became executive director of The Hope Center. Later she because an advisor for Navarro College and saw that she could do so much more for the students. Pillans waited for a full-time opportunity to come along and took that opportunity by the horns.
Driven by her belief that college-level students are more motivated to learn and engage compared to high school students, as they actively choose to further their education, she feels she has a calling and a connection to these students, to her students.
As an educator, Pillans strives to empower her students and instill in them the skills necessary for effective public speaking. By engaging students with practical activities, personal anecdotes, and real-life examples, she sparks their interest and fosters a positive learning environment. Her dedication to her students’ growth and development is evident in her teaching methods and her commitment to excellence. She believes she is preparing them more so for their future career, “it doesn’t matter what industry they must be able to communicate effectively, it’s the foundation for everything you have to do.” A huge key factor which scares most people is preparing them for public speaking or in a business setting. Some say it’s the icing on the cake and they can be successful once they have that skill.
Outside of her role as an educator, Danielle Pillans and her husband are actively involved in community service through their college ministry at Grace Community Church. They provide meals to students, organize Bible study sessions in the evenings, and attend sporting events, building a strong sense of community among college students.
Pillans serves on the Corsicana Education Foundation Advisory Board, contributing her expertise and supporting local educational initiatives. In addition to her involvement with the Corsicana Education Foundation, Pillans has a remarkable history of community engagement with the arts. She served on the Warehouse of Living Arts board for five years, actively participating in productions as both a director and an actress. Her involvement in the Palace Theater and the Navarro Council of the Arts further demonstrates her commitment to the arts and cultural development in our community.
She has been in various plays and musicals over the years including Rabbit Hole, God of Carnage, Ghost of a Chance, A Christmas Story, and the musical, Little Shop of Horrors. Those are just the ones from the past 6 years. Her favorite was Little Shop of Horrors. She auditioned for the lead role her freshmen year at Baylor where she instead garnered the position of wardrobe changer. She knew someday she would have her turn at playing Audrey. As she grew theatrically, she gained roles including her dream role, Audrey at our very own Warehouse of Living Arts Theater.
One of the Pillans’ family most significant contributions is the creation of Butterfly Hearts Foundation, a nonprofit organization. This foundation will provide Christian-based support for children who are experiencing grief. The goal is to help them cope with their emotions and find strength during difficult times. The idea for the foundation evolved from her daughter’s urging. Her daughter, Addie, lost a friend when she was around 7 years old. While searching for support, the family discovered there is little help for children who are grieving. Equipped with Addie’s idea of providing support to others walking through the grieving process, they have begun to collect new stuffed animals and started the process of becoming a 501(c)(3).
Beyond her extensive community involvement and contributions to education, Danielle Pillans has also achieved personal and professional milestones. Alongside her daughter, Addie, she is co-authoring a chapter book that provides different perspectives on a traumatic event from both a child’s and an adult’s eyes. Their collaboration showcases their creativity, resilience, and dedication to sharing their experiences to inspire others.
As if this pace isn’t exhausting enough, Pillans also volunteers with Camp Agape, a Grief Recovery summer camp. Camp Agape is a nonprofit camp for grieving children. They also offer a family retreat which the Pillans family attended one summer. Pillans has specifically gone back and volunteered at the camp as an adult buddy and this summer her daughter Addie will accompany her as a camp buddy.
Danielle’s stride grows stronger with each challenge for her time, but her faith and family are most important. When asked about both, she said, “Being able to spend time with my family and living according to God’s word, and pointing our children in the same direction, allowing them to develop and grow with the help of God,” were the most meaningful portions of her life. The Pillans just bought their dream house and want to take their time to settle down in their new home and spend as much time as they can with their kids because they are growing and leaving the nest.
Their commitment to service and community involvement extends to pageantry. Addie recently won the title of Junior Miss Texas, America’s, United States and Danielle was crowned Mrs. Texas, America’s United States. As a service organization and community involvement pageant, this recognition highlights their embodiment of compassion, leadership, and commitment to making a positive impact on society.
Danielle Pillans is a remarkable individual whose contributions to education, community development, and are commendable. As a speech and public speaking professor, she combines her passion for educating with her commitment to empowering her students. Her community involvement, ranging from her role on various boards to the establishment of the Butterfly Hearts Foundation, demonstrates her dedication to improving the lives of those around her.
With Addie, she continues to inspire and impact others through their joint book project and involvement in pageantry. Danielle Pillans is a meritorious leader, exemplifying the power of education, community engagement, and advocacy for today’s youth in various ways.
