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Artificial intelligence is transforming the world faster than schools can adapt. For communities like ours in the San Ramon Valley, the challenge is clear. How do we prepare students for careers that may not even exist yet?
As a proud graduate of the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, I have seen first-hand the quality of education that defines our community. Nearly 30,000 K-12 students learn here, supported by dedicated teachers and families who make SRVUSD one of California’s highest-performing districts.
The district’s graduation rate stands at 97%, and 95% of seniors plan to attend college. About 79% of students are proficient in reading and 72% in math. This is well above the national averages of 35% and 22%, respectively. These results speak to both talent and commitment of our educators.
But the pace of technological change means we cannot stop there. Most curricula are designed by looking backward. For the last two decades, software engineering and computer science have been among the top growth fields.
Schools built programs to feed that demand, yet many of those roles may no longer exist by the time today’s middle schoolers graduate. AI systems are already automating tasks once handled by junior engineers, and the nature of work is shifting before our eyes.
We cannot know exactly which skills will matter in 2035 or 2040. What we can see is how researchers and innovators use AI today. These tools act as powerful assistants, but they must be guided, checked and corrected.
On their own, AI models do not know what we want. That is why students need a strong foundation in first principles including a deep understanding of their subjects, whether in science, humanities or economics. True comprehension helps them verify AI output and ensures they are thinkers, not just users.
Students also need agency and the confidence to set goals and act on them. In my mentorship to local students, I encourage young people to understand why they pursue a path, whether driven by curiosity, creativity or a desire to make an impact.
When students in Danville, San Ramon and Alamo connect learning to purpose, they prepare not just for jobs but for meaningful careers.
I am grateful to give back to the district that shaped me through several local initiatives, including an endowment with SRVUSD’s education foundation to support young innovators and a Knowledge Grant for student journalism at Dougherty Valley High School to strengthen critical thinking and literacy.
Our community already has strong academic foundations and high aspirations. Preparing students for the AI era means going beyond proficiency. It means empowering them with curiosity, confidence and critical thinking so they can direct technology rather than be directed by it.
The future will not belong to faster machines but to thoughtful minds leading with purpose.
Editor’s note: Neel Somani is a San Ramon Valley Unified School District graduate, entrepreneur, and education philanthropist. He founded the Young Innovators Fellowship and Knowledge Grant for Student Journalism and established a named endowment with the San Ramon Valley Education Foundation to support future-ready learning and innovation.
