Steven Robillard ’09
Steven Robillard ’09
2009 ALUMNI
Steven Robillard is an alumnus from the Woodcrest Christian class of 2009. Steven currently runs a real estate consulting firm with his family and has just announced that he will be running for City Council’s Ward 3 seat in the 2024 Riverside City Elections.
Anyone working in land development will tell you that while there are many factors to consider when looking to purchase land, taking the time to make the right decision is the foundation to all future building investments. Soil conditions, location and proximity, and city coding are just a few on the list of factors to consider when looking at investment potential. Woodcrest Christian alumnus Steven Robillard has worked for years in vacant land development with Robillard Consulting Group, and knows this truth better than most. Not only is Steven considered an expert in vacant land sales, but his life’s journey since graduating from Woodcrest Christian to now running for Riverside City Council, showcases the same principle of building upon a solid foundation. Steven credits the impact of his relationship with teachers and the shared community
of peers pursuing excellence while at Woodcrest Christian that laid the groundwork for his success.
While they were in middle school at Woodcrest Christian, Steven met his wife Lexie, and maintains close friendships with those he went to high school with. He shares, “Some of my closest friends are those made while attending Woodcrest Christian. It’s crazy to say out loud that it’s been over a decade now that we were students, eating lunch together every day. I am who I am today–pushing the limits in my career is largely due to the support and foundation of these long-lasting friendships.” Steven speaks highly of his longtime friendships and experiences at Woodcrest Christian. “They have become the litmus tests for those I hope to be in community with,” he says. “I have continued to look for these environments of excellence found among my peers and teachers at
Woodcrest Christian.”
One specific relationship that impacted Steven the most was his favorite math teacher, Miss Hall. “I remember sitting in Miss Hall’s math class and finding an alternative way of solving the problem we were working on,” he shares. “Miss Hall invited me to come in front of the class and demonstrate to everyone my different way of solving the problem. It was through this kind of humble teaching that encouraged me to have confidence in out-of-the-box thinking. This memory has stayed with me not because of how I solved the problem, but because of how Miss Hall encouraged me to think for myself.”
In conjunction with the positive lesson taught by Miss Hall, Steven also remembers a life lesson learned through the experience of a classmate. “I’ll never forget when one of my good friends came from public school to Woodcrest Christian. At his old school, he used to be able to tell his teachers ‘I don’t know’ when avoiding trying to solve a problem. To his shock, Woodcrest Christian teachers didn’t take ‘I don’t know’ as an answer. That was not acceptable,” Steven laughs. “This accountability from my teachers to ‘try’ pushed students to perform at their best effort and figure out solutions to problems.” It was an impression that took root in high school and has served Steven well ever since. Woodcrest Christian’s commitment to pursue excellence was a life skill Steven has relied on as he has pursued his degrees, job opportunities, and his run for election to Riverside City Council.
Outside of the classroom, Steven remembers the approach to excellence even in his athletics. “My baseball coach had the reputation of being tough on every player, but you always knew that all he wanted was for you to succeed.
At Woodcrest Christian, you couldn’t just not try your best. The staff were always pushing for excellence. It wasn’t just because that was one of their goals, but because they cared for you as an
individual. They want to bring out your full potential.” Steven also recalls his time doing Track & Field. “Coach Billy York’s daily devotions made running track more than just a physical discipline, but a spiritual and mental one. Every day Coach Billy would share Scripture with the team, reminding us why we are running and who we are running for.” Steven shares that he has kept this framework even today as he pursues long days, often exhausted, while on campaign for City Council.
Upon graduating from Woodcrest Christian, Steven attended both Riverside Community College and the University of California, Riverside to study Political Science. While attending these schools Steven competed on the track team and was training to be a Riverside Police Cadet. Steven was employed as a Police Cadet at a time when there were no trainings or systems for new Cadets. In a similar fashion to the critical thinking required while at Woodcrest Christian, Steven shares that this was an experience in his life of having to figure things out on his own. “Essentially, I was in my early twenties and basically a “gofer” doing simple tasks. With no formal path organized, I was a guinea pig of sorts in the program. I ended up having to come up with solutions in the program and by my last year, I saw a formal system developed for Cadet training.”
While Steven foresaw a career in law enforcement, the Lord had other plans for him. “It was on my college graduation day that I found out I would not be continuing in the force,” he says. “While this time wasn’t easy, it is clear to look back on how God had closed one door and was opening a new one that only years later I would see His hand in.” That door was leaving the force and following the path of entrepreneurship working with his family in real estate, and now running for public office.
Currently, Steven finds himself in the middle of his campaign for Riverside City Council. In a season of life which requires long days and nights on the campaign trail, Steven’s foundation of faith and education are bearing fruit. Steven’s story not only shows the impact of Woodcrest Christian, but also echoes the words of Jesus in Matthew 13, the seed being planted in good soil. As with many Woodcrest Christian alumni, it’s not hard to connect the dots to see how the Lord orchestrates each individual’s life according to His plan. As Steven continues his race for city government, he can attest that through Woodcrest Christian’s intentional teaching, a culture of Christ-centered excellence, and life-long supportive relationships, his foundation is solid, and he is set up for success.
