Vidya Sundaram
Family Engagement Lab
San Francisco, CA USA
"If you really want to get involved in family engagement, it’s so important to connect with lots of families. It will change you forever. It changed me."
Career Roadmap
Vidya's work combines: Education, Non-Profit Organizations, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I'd first recommend getting a teaching credential and working in the classroom. Then, if you want to get involved with family engagement, start connecting with the families all around you. Ask the families you connect with what their hopes and dreams are for their children.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Electrical Engineering
Stanford University
Graduate Degree
Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
UCLA
Graduate Degree
Education Policy
UCLA
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
As a child, I was inspired by the social and ethical aspects of my father’s work as a civil engineer and decided that I wanted to go into engineering as well.
2.
I initially went to school for software engineering but realized that it was missing the specific ethical aspect I was looking for.
3.
After graduating with my bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, I knew I wanted to further my education in order to influence society in a different way.
4.
I went to UCLA and did a dual master’s program in business and public policy.
5.
The program gave me a good foundation in learning how business operates in the context of policy and how nonprofit organizations can support innovation at the intersection of business and policy.
6.
After graduating, I spent a good portion of my career with Great Schools, where I gained a lot of experience in family engagement.
7.
I saw that there’s a great need for more focus on family engagement, so I co-founded Family Engagement Lab to help bridge classroom curriculum and at-home learning.
