Jessica Ch’ng
Senior Associate, Strategic Initiatives and National Partnerships
As the Senior Associate of Strategic Initiatives and National Partnerships, Jessica is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships and engagement with national partners to advance EdTrust’s policy and advocacy priorities.
Prior to joining EdTrust, Jessica was as an Education Pioneers Impact Fellow at the U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology, where she worked on digital equity and open licensing initiatives. Her prior experiences focused on higher education access and admissions, including working at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Posse Foundation. She also previously served as a Russlynn Ali summer fellow at EdTrust-West.
Jessica grew up in Nashville, TN, and holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s in social studies from Harvard University.
What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work? (Ex. Hobbies, volunteer work)
I love to leave it all on the dance floor. Salsa, bachata, Brazilian zouk, freestyle — I will try to dance to almost anything! When the weather is nice, you might find me biking DC’s trails and when the weather is bad, I’m likely indoors baking or reading.
What drew you to education?
As the daughter of a public school teacher, I saw how hard educators work to provide opportunities and support the growth of their students, and I knew education to be a powerful tool for building a more just and equitable world. My early professional experiences focused on increasing higher education access, especially supporting students of color, and advocating to make historically exclusive institutions more diverse. The transformative potential of education, on both an individual and societal level, continues to motivate me.
Why are you passionate about working at EdTrust?
EdTrust’s mission resonates with my personal and professional values, and the organization’s bold, equity-driven, student-focused advocacy inspires me. I feel fortunate to work alongside and learn from incredible colleagues, who are dedicated to advancing education equity and justice.