Kenzie Padilla is the founder of this Title IX athletics consulting service, a lifelong resident of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, and a rising sophomore at Harvard University, where she competes as a Division I swimmer.Her journey into Title IX advocacy began not in a policy office or academic setting, but on the fields, courts, and pools of her high school. As a multi-sport athlete at Phoenixville Area High School, where she competed in varsity cross country, swimming, and track and field, Kenzie began to notice consistent disparities between the girls’ and boys’ athletic programs—disparities in equipment, recognition, facilities, and funding. She initially approached these gaps not with confrontation, but with collaboration in mind.Over the course of more than a year, she worked diligently and respectfully to engage with school administrators, athletic staff, and school board members. She brought forward concerns, proposed solutions, and attempted to establish dialogue grounded in both federal law and a shared commitment to supporting student-athletes. Her goal was not to criticize, but to partner with the district to bring its practices into alignment with Title IX.
When these efforts were repeatedly dismissed or ignored, Kenzie turned to formal channels, filing a federal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The resulting multi-year investigation confirmed the concerns she had raised. While the process was long and, at times, adversarial, it led to tangible change:
The implementation of booster club governance policies to ensure gender-equitable support
The district’s first athletic field named in honor of a female athlete alumnus
A reevaluation and increase in coaching salaries for girls’ athletic teams.
This experience gave Kenzie more than just a working knowledge of Title IX—it provided her with a deep, practical understanding of how the law is applied, where schools unintentionally fall short, and how to navigate both advocacy and institutional systems to achieve real, lasting results.
It also shaped her philosophy: that collaboration leads to better outcomes than conflict. Having seen firsthand how difficult and public a compliance investigation can be—for both the school and its students—Kenzie founded this consulting service to help schools proactively assess their Title IX compliance and implement thoughtful, sustainable improvements. Her approach is constructive, not adversarial. She works with districts to identify gaps, interpret complex regulations, and create actionable plans that serve both legal obligations and student needs.
Kenzie’s mission is clear: to make Title IX compliance understandable, achievable, and meaningful—so that every student, regardless of gender, has equal access to the full benefits of school athletics.
Kenzie Padilla competed for the Phoenixville Girls Cross Country, Track, and Swim teams. She now attends Harvard, pursuing her academic passions and competing for the Crimson. Her accolades include:
