From Student Affairs to PhD to VP of Strategic Engagement at Jobs for the Future: David Soo's Journey in Education Advocacy and Opportunity

GlobalMindED is proud to honor our Asian Pacific Islander leaders, faculty, business leaders, staff, and students. David Soo is the VP of Strategic Engagements at Jobs For the Future, where he leads key initiatives and oversees the Policy unit. He specializes in education policy, public speaking, and educational innovation. Prior to JFF, he served as a senior policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Education.

Jobs for the Future is a GlobalMindED partner and will be playing a leading role in the Ten - Year Anniversary event in June. His colleague, Kristina Francis, Executive Director of JFFLabs, will be on the main stage interviewing Kennon Harrison, Head of Workforce Partnerships at ETS in the fireside chat: Learning, Earning, and Employability - Bridging the Education to Workforce Gap.

What is your personal/professional story?

I have worked throughout my career to make education a reality for more people. I grew up in a family that valued education and provided me with the love of learning and access to great schools. After my undergraduate and master's degree in Higher Education, I worked for two years at a college in student affairs. I learned there that while I loved students, I thought I wanted to be on the academic side of the house. So I earned a PhD in Higher Education, learning about how colleges and universities serve their students and the world. However, while I was in grad school, I did an internship at the US Department of Education (more on that below) and ultimately determined that policy and larger systems change was my calling. I spent about eight years at the US Department of Education, doing higher education policy and working to drive innovation across the system. I loved the work and the ability to make change at scale. I then moved to the nonprofit for which I currently work, Jobs for the Future, where we seek to transform the education and workforce systems to enable economic advancement for all. I love the work because it's a similar systems-level perspective as government, but we're a more nimble organization than the vast government. We work with educators, companies, philanthropy and funders, entrepreneurs, students and workers, policymakers, and more to change our system for the better.  

I met my now-husband at the end of graduate school and we are now fathers of twin 6-year-olds. We live in downtown Washington, DC, though we plan to move to a 50-acre farm in Maryland (near Annapolis) that we purchased and have been rehabilitating. My family life has taught me to always be open to new possibilities! I never thought I would live on a farm, but my husband grew up on one and I have learned all sorts of things about crops, building, and farm maintenance! Likewise, my twins, who have been raised together from birth, have wildly different personalities and proclivities. It has been humbling to me to learn to listen to them and help nurture their interests and passions, not force them into my wishes or wants. I know that will be a lifelong journey! 

What key moments in your life led you to where you are today?

A pivotal moment was when I secured an internship during graduate school. When a professor of mine heard that I was looking for a summer job, he called a colleague of his who was working at the US Department of Education and connected us. It was a summer filled with learning and building new relationships, which served me well upon the completion of my studies when I went to work full-time at the US Department of Education. 

I draw a few lessons from this: 

It's all about people! Cultivate relationships with your advisors, peers, and anyone who will talk to you. I didn't know that mentioning my lack of summer plans would lead to an amazing internship. And I met countless people there that have gone on to other opportunities with whom I have collaborated, as well as giving and receiving help. Be sure to be nice to everyone around you--your bosses and the people who might report to you--as you never know when your paths will intersect again. 

Dream big! When I first learned about the possibility of that internship, I didn't imagine spending almost a decade at the Department, working with the Secretary of Education and being in meetings with the President of the United States. But during that internship, my mind was open to the possibilities and I was tenacious about following a new path I hadn't known existed. 

Where does your passion to serve come from?

Given that it's Asian History Month, a Chinese proverb: 

“If you want happiness for an hour — take a nap.

If you want happiness for a day — go fishing.

If you want happiness for a year — inherit a fortune.

If you want happiness for a lifetime — help someone else.”

My father was from China and was a product of Jesuit education in China and beyond. He became a professor of Chinese philosophy and he never tired of evangelizing for the power of education. He would often strike up conversations with people who worked at gas stations or convenience stores and encourage them to take classes or pick up on their education. This was a powerful lesson for me--not only on the importance of education, but also on the leadership that any individual person can take on to change the lives of the people around them. 

How can GlobalMindED help you reach your goals?

GlobalMindED is an incredible community of people helping and supporting one another. I am confident that the mutual benefit from all of those connections will help people in the community and the world beyond. My organization, Jobs for the Future, is seeking to ensure that by 2033, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs. The work of GlobalMindED will surely help get us closer to that number by the direct individuals served--but even more so by inspiring the next generation of leaders to transform our system through the roles they take on, the businesses they create, the people they inspire, and so much more.