Social Media and Communications Coordinator, CA EPLF

Adwoa V. Akyianu is the social media and communications coordinator at EdInsights, joining the organization in August 2025. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Sac State, where she also served as vice president and president of the Black Student Union, developing skills in advocacy, teamwork, and community mobilization. With years of experience in marketing and communications, Adwoa specializes in crafting messages that inspire action and foster inclusion. Her work is shaped by her identity as a Black, first-generation, woman-identifying professional and her dedication to centering voices that have been historically marginalized. She envisions a future where equity is not an aspiration, but a lived reality, a world where access, resources, and safety are guaranteed for all. 

Finance and Operations Manager, CA EPLF

Joanlyn Ocampo first joined EdInsights in 2014 as a temporary student assistant and now serves as the finance and operations manager. Joanlyn earned her bachelor of science degree in accountancy and a minor in philosophy from California State University, Sacramento. As a first-generation college graduate herself, she is passionate about supporting EdInsights’ work to inform and improve policymaking so that underserved students have equitable opportunities and resources in their higher education journey. While an undergrad, Joanlyn worked with Sacramento State’s student calling center to help raise funds for their 8 individual colleges, and held leadership roles with a non-profit student organization for two years where she raised funds to coordinate and facilitate a community health fair with over 100 attendees and 25 health vendors at Sacramento State, and helped coordinate and facilitate free blood pressure and glucose screenings at the Sacramento Hmong New Year.

UX Designer, CA EPLF

Ben is the UX Designer at EdInsights. In his role, Ben utilizes design thinking to create user-friendly visuals that tell compelling data-driven stories. Ben has spent over fifteen years providing exceptional experiences to customers and clients in a multitude of fields including higher education, non-profit, immigration, medical, and tech. He graduated with a BA in Spanish and a minor in Business Administration from Cabrini University, a private school located outside of Philadelphia, PA. During the pandemic, he took the opportunity to further his education and earned a certificate in User Experience (UX) Design. Ben continues to provide positive experiences utilizing research and design thinking while sharing his passion for education, equity, and accessibility. He is currently pursuing his MA in Anthropology at Sacramento State.

Administrative Analyst, CA EPLF

Lada Thao joined the California Education Policy Fellowship Program team in September 2024 as an administrative analyst. Lada earned her BA in International Relations with a minor in Psychology from California State University, Chico. As a first-generation college graduate herself, Lada is passionate about helping students have access to educational opportunities and support to succeed in higher education. As an undergrad, Lada served as the president of the Upward Bound Alumni Association, a student organization whose focus is to help high school seniors transition from high school to college, and to provide them support and resources to pursue and complete their college degree program. Lada organized multiple fundraisers to fund college scholarship awards for the Upward Bound Alumni Association, and in an effort to support freshmen retention, organized mentorship programs to help students acclimate to university life. She organized and planned workshops to help high school seniors with college applications, as well as financial aid workshops to help them in their college admission journey. Lada also served as a member of the Hmong Student Association at Chico State where she helped coordinate a higher education conference for Hmong students and parents in the local community to learn more about higher education opportunities.