Phan Ngo
Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety
Sunnyvale, CA USA
"It’s not a destination, it’s a journey. If you’re curious and you want to continue to learn and grow, then you’re going to be successful at whatever you want to do."
Career Roadmap
Phan's work combines: Government, Law, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Talk to people in the field you're interested in. Exploration is key to figuring out what your true passions are. Don't be afraid to fail. It's part of the exploration process.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Criminal Justice Administration
San Jose State University
Graduate Degree
Criminal Justice
Boston University
Certification
Leadership and Character in Uncertain Times
Harvard Kennedy School
Certification
Negotiation Strategies: Building Agreement Across Boundaries Program
Harvard Kennedy School
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I was born in Vietnam and fled with my family to the United States when I was eight years old.
2.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from San Jose State University.
3.
While in college, I was taken aback by the reasons my peers thought Vietnamese-Americans wouldn’t make good police officers.
4.
I took that as a challenge and applied to the San Jose Police Department.
5.
I then built a 26-year career with the police department, starting as a police officer and working my way up to deputy chief of police.
6.
I now work as the director of public safety for the Sunnyvale Department of public safety, where I oversee our officers performing police, fire, and emergency medical services.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
Vietnamese-Americans don't communicate well and don't have good command presence, so they don't become police officers.
How I responded:
While going to school for criminal justice, we were discussing the barriers that Vietnamese-Americans might face when considering becoming police officers. I was taken aback by some of the things the other students were saying. I took it as a challenge and decided to apply to the San Jose Police Department. I proceeded to build a 26-year career with the department.