Miguel Solis

President
Latino Center for Leadership Development

Dallas-Fort Worth '09

When Miguel Solis heard in his political science class that young people weren’t voting, he was determined to change things. He began organizing youth for the Obama campaign in 2008, and was even chosen to give an introductory speech for Michelle Obama. Obama’s focus on education motivated Miguel to apply to TFA, where his students proved that if you work hard and have access to a great education, anything is possible. His class went from struggling to outperforming all middle schools on the 8th grade Texas state exams. After advocating for Dallas students as special assistant to the Superintendent and as Dallas Director for Stand For Children, Miguel became the youngest person to be elected school board president at 28. He still supports Dallas students on the school board while investing in the future of our country by developing Latino leaders as President of LCLD.

What I Learned in My First Classroom

Miguel Solis’s first year of teaching was the hardest job he’s ever had. He found incredible support from the TFA network, fellow teachers, and students. A decade later, his experience in the classroom continues to fuel his passion for education.

Career Path
Career PathLamar University, Harvard University Graduate School of Education Career SectorNonprofit & Social Services

  • Teach For America: Dallas-Fort Worth Corps

    Miguel’s eighth graders outperformed every other middle school in the Dallas school district on the state exam. Their love and support when his father passed away changed his life.

  • Special Assistant to Superintendent, Dallas ISD

    Miguel served as special assistant for the superintendent of schools for the Dallas Independent School District.

  • City Director, Stand For Children

    Miguel ran the Dallas chapter of Stand For Children, which works to ensure an excellent education for all students through family engagement and organizing, policy and advocacy, and electoral work.

  • Director of Community Affairs, Symphonic Source

    Managed the philanthropic portfolio at Symphonic Source, which provides customer data quality software and services that ensure the integrity of information used by leading business applications.

  • President, Latino Center for Leadership Dev.

    Miguel co-founded and oversees the creation of programs for LCLD, which develops the next generation of Latino leaders driven by thoughts, values, and experiences to improve the Latino community.

Q & A

What skills developed in the corps have been most important throughout your career?

Backwards planning—starting with a big goal and then working backwards to develop a plan to get there—has been so important. Learning what motivates people and then investing them in your plans. Teaching can be very similar to working with board members, or in politics.

How has Teach For America influenced your career path?

It changed my life forever. It committed me to improving outcomes for students. It made me understand that education influences every other issue our country deals with. No matter what I do, education will be a component because it is critical to our future.

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