Background
From the years of experience she has working with all kinds of students, no one understands the different needs of each student more than Soo. She has seen how every student is different and may have different needs in order to receive a quality education.
Students face different challenges today than they did a decade ago. Today’s youth face growing challenges related to excessive online gaming, screen time, and social media use. These concerns can contribute to declining academic focus and social isolation.
Soo believes addressing these issues through education, parental awareness, responsible technology use and healthy boundaries can help support students’ overall well-being and development at ABCUSD.
A Product of the California Public School System
Soo immigrated from Korea in 1974 with her parents and three sisters. Her parents worked long hours to support the family. Soo and her sisters held part-time jobs in high school to help, and all four went on to college.
Soo learned English in Los Angeles public schools. She grew up in a predominantly Latino neighborhood and learned Spanish as her third language. Today she speaks English, Korean and Spanish, and that background shapes how she listens to and connects with ABC families.
Many Californian students today are English learners. In the 2024-25 school year, over a million public school students in California were English learners, about 17% of students Source [1] (opens in a new tab). About 1.9 million students, roughly one in three, are current or former English learners. ABCUSD families are diverse and Soo is proud to champion the diverse education that is made available to ESL students.
Soo’s own experience in the public school system has guided her work, first as an educator and then as a trustee.
An Educator For Over 30 Years
Soo earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine, and a master’s degree from Westminster Theological Seminary. She then founded a college preparatory center and directed it for more than 30 years. She worked directly with students and parents to plan coursework, prepare for exams and apply to college. She has since retired from the business and consults independently.
She also served as a college admissions consultant and youth counselor and wrote an education column. She led workshops that explained college admissions to families who had not been through the process, many of them immigrant families like her own.
Soo has seen first hand how challenging college prep can be for students and parents, and it remains a statewide challenge. As a school board member, Soo has been dedicated to equipping ABCUSD students with the support they need in order to pursue a higher education. She brings that experience to her board decisions on course offerings, counseling and academic support.
Continued Dedication to ABCUSD Students
Soo has served twice as President of the ABC Unified School District Board of Education.
2018: Measure BB and safer, modern campuses
During her first term as Board President, Measure BB was passed, providing funding to modernize schools throughout the district. Improvements included enhanced campus safety through the installation of gates and video camera systems, as well as renovations to restrooms, playgrounds, athletic fields, and other school facilities.
In July 2018, the board voted to place Measure BB on the November ballot Source [2] (opens in a new tab). Voters approved the $258 million school facilities bond with 55.9% of the vote Source [3] (opens in a new tab), above the 55% required. A Citizens’ Oversight Committee reviews how the funds are spent Source [4] (opens in a new tab).
ABC voters approved Measure BB between statewide school construction bonds. California passed one in 2016 and did not pass another until Proposition 2 in 2024. An estimated 85% of California classrooms are more than 25 years old, according to EdSource’s reporting Source [5] (opens in a new tab).
2022: The COVID-19 pandemic
In March 2020, school closures affected more than 99% of California’s 6.2 million public school students, according to the California School Boards Association Source [6] (opens in a new tab). During her second term as Board President, in 2022 Source [7] (opens in a new tab), Soo helped lead the district through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while keeping schools open.
Throughout her Board service, she has focused on empowering parents, student academic achievement, school safety, student well-being, fiscal responsibility, and collaboration among all stakeholders.
A Longtime Parent and Resident of Cerritos
Soo is a longtime Cerritos resident. She knows ABC Unified as a parent whose four daughters attended its schools and as a trustee who votes on its budget. She brings both perspectives to her board decisions.
Outside the board, she has served on a School Site Council, on City of Cerritos committees and in local youth programs. She has volunteered with the American Red Cross and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Her Christian faith and her years in youth ministry shaped her commitment to service, and she values respect for different backgrounds and cooperation around shared goals.
At home, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her family.
Why Soo Is Running Again
Statewide achievement has not returned to pre-pandemic levels Source [8] (opens in a new tab). Student phone use is now a statewide issue as well Source [9] (opens in a new tab).
Every California school board, including ABC’s, is making decisions on these issues now. Soo is running to continue working with her fellow trustees on higher academic achievement, increased safety in schools, support for student mental health and emotional well-being, and the careful stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
She brings to the Board three decades of experience preparing students for college and over 13 years of experience as a school board trustee, with proven leadership and a strong commitment to our students, families and community.