David Peter Soeth

Education

Mr. David Soeth has dedicated 39 years of his professional life helping Manteca youth be successful in the classroom and in their personal lives. He has been a classroom teacher for 30 years and a high school guidance counselor for an additional nine years.

Mr. Soeth was a member of the original staff at East Union High School, when the Manteca Unified School District opened its second high school in 1966. He taught English and French at East Union for 30 years. In addition, Mr. Soeth taught Freshman Composition and Speed Reading classes at Delta College in the evenings and summer from 1974 to 1990. Besides his work in the classroom, Mr. Soeth coached Cross Country for 17 years and Track and Field for 10 years.

After 30 years at East Union High School, Mr. Soeth moved to Sierra High School as a guidance counselor, continuing to project a positive influence on the students with whom he worked. One of the first things he did at Sierra High School was to develop a newsletter the Sierra Counseling Department used to enhance communication between the Guidance Department and parents and students.

In addition to his work in the Manteca Unified Schools, Mr. Soeth was active in his church, developing and teaching classes to high school-aged youth. He also was active as an Assistant Scoutmaster, helping Boy Scouts learn skills to move through the ranks in scouting. Both of Mr. Soeth’s sons reached the Eagle Scout rank – the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America. In other community activities, Mr. Soeth works with the San Joaquin County Academic Decathlon, and has served as President of the Manteca Noon Kiwanis Club, which honors students monthly with recognition and scholarships. He is a United States Track and Field Master level Official, and works track meets from the high school level, Junior Olympics and the United States Olympic Trials. Mr. Soeth organizes the Sub-Section Track and Field Meet for local high schools every year, and trains Track and Field Officials for the United States Association of Track and Field.