Eric Waldo
DC College Access Program
Austin, TX USA
"Follow your passion over prestige."
Career Roadmap
Eric's work combines: Education, Non-Profit Organizations, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Everything counts, so start working hard now and try as many things out as possible. Make friends with your teachers, take internships, learn about things you are excited about, but know that your plans will change. And that's okay.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Comparative Literature
Brown University
Graduate Degree
International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Doctorate
Law
University of Chicago Law School
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I entered college planning to become a doctor, but a class on the history of American education helped me realize I was meant to work with students instead.
2.
Teaching middle school students through a summer nonprofit program showed me how powerful education could be in shaping a young person’s future.
3.
After briefly working in consulting and exploring acting, I decided to pursue a master’s in education followed by a law degree.
4.
I turned down a prestigious law firm job to join Barack Obama’s presidential campaign because I believed in the vision he represented.
5.
During the Obama administration, I worked alongside Michelle Obama for her Reach Higher Initiative, which deepened my commitment to helping students get to and through college.
6.
Today, I lead the DC College Access Program, helping first-generation students graduate from college with support, opportunity, and little to no debt.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I'll just be a doctor.
How I responded:
I think life is about how comfortable you are with risk. In school, I wanted to be a good person and make a difference, so I settled on becoming the one thing I could think of that accomplished those things, a doctor, even though I wasn't passionate about it. I had to learn I was comfortable with risk and pursue a different path.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
The Obama campaign was so stressful that I ended up developing alopecia and losing all of my hair.
After Barack Obama won the presidency, I found out on election night that I had to move to Washington D.C. to work on the transition team. I had to sleep on a friends couch before I found somewhere to live.
I've had several career switches. I started out on a pre-med track in college, but then found my interest in education. Along the way, I've dabbled in market research, theater, law, and politics. Each transition has informed my next move.