Sociology major and soccer standout kicks through barriers to improve access and equity in education

Kelly James ’97 is one of the most decorated players in the history of the women’s soccer program at The College of Wooster. A member of the W Association Hall of Fame, James was a two-time All-American, four-time All-Great Lakes Region selection, two-time North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Defensive Player of the Year, and four-time All-NCAC selection. She was a member of two conference championship teams and received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.  

But her off-the-field accomplishments are even more impressive. As owner and partner at Education First, James develops strategies and policies that help state agencies, nonprofit organizations, school districts, and support from philanthropic donors prepare all students, particularly Black, Indigenous, and other students of color and students living in low-income communities, for success in college, career, and life. Some of her current projects include improving instruction for multilingual learners in pre-K through third grade in the state of California; assisting school districts working to improve teacher morale and retention; and helping build creative solutions for chronic absenteeism. 

“I have an amazing range of work that is all around changing the way our systems work so there’s more equity in both access and outcomes in education,” James said. 

James became interested in issues related to equity at a young age. “Growing up, I noticed that soccer is a very elite and expensive sport in the United States,” she said. “Playing for a club can cost several thousands of dollars a year, and going to practices and driving to games are a huge time commitment for families. That can limit accessibility for players from low-income communities.” 

A Cleveland native, James played club soccer herself. Her coach was none other than David “Geordie” Brown, who has been the head coach of the women’s soccer team at Wooster since 1991. When it came time for James to choose a college, it was an easy decision. “I was really excited to play for him at the collegiate level,” she said. “I also appreciated that at Wooster, soccer didn’t take over your whole life. You could do other things. 

James played soccer all four years, serving as captain her junior and senior years. The experience not only helped her develop time management, teamwork, and leadership skills, but also provided a supportive community in which she could thrive. She developed deep bonds with her teammates and made many of her closest friends through soccer 

Her passion for the sport also heavily influenced her early career. After graduating with a degree in sociology, James moved to Chicago, where she completed the Public Allies leadership development program and worked for two nonprofits before founding Chicago SCORES (now America SCORES Chicago) in 2000. The organization, based on the successful DC SCORES model, supports at-risk youth through free afterschool and summer programming that combines soccer, poetry, and service-learning. 

James began considering ways she could have a larger, more systemic impact on improving outcomes for students on the margin. She decided to attend the University of Chicago Law School, where one of her advisors was then lecturer Barack Obama. After briefly practicing education and employment law, she joined the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as a policy officer in 2005, managing more than $20 million in grants designed to improve college and career readiness for Black and Latino students and students from low-income communities. She took on a similar position with the Raikes Foundation before joining Education First in 2010. 

James believes Wooster prepared her well for her current role. Her Independent Study, which explored how federal policies play out at the local and classroom level for students with disabilities in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, was particularly relevant. “That was one of my most valuable experiences at Wooster,” she said. “I learned how to build relationships and communicate with educators and administrators, and I gained organizational and project management skills. The work itself was very similar to the work I’m doing today—finding the qualitative data, pulling it out, and making recommendations based on it.” 

She also appreciated having the opportunity to develop close relationships with her professors, including her I.S. advisor, David McConnell, emeritus professor of sociology and anthropology. That’s just one of the many benefits of a liberal arts education. “Wooster gave me the space to explore and the foundation for being a lifelong learner,” James said. “It definitely has influenced the way I think about education and the way I am guiding my own children now.” 

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2024 edition of Wooster Magazine.

Posted in Alumni, Magazine on March 25, 2024.