Lyia is a Program Associate for CCST. Prior to working at CCST, Lyia advocated for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking in California and worked on fostering a national and international network of advocates for Southeast Asian families. After six years as an advocate, she came to work at the State Capitol for Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon providing administrative support and soon after became a legislative assistant to Assemblymember Ed Chau. She worked extensively on legislation related to public safety, civil rights, data and privacy protections, among others. Her work is deeply informed by her experience as the child of Hmong refugees, which led to her earning her BA in Asian American Studies from UC Davis with a double minor in Anthropology and Community Regional Development.