Teya Hisel - Class of 2018

Even as an Overlake student, Teya Hisel (’18) was a feminist and activist, so it makes sense that Teya’s career is oriented around equity and justice, especially for women and non-binary individuals. As the Policy Manager for Los Angeles’s Downtown Women’s Center since July of 2023, Teya has been working tirelessly to end homelessness for women and gender-diverse individuals through housing, wellness, employment, and advocacy. This means shaping and executing the DWC’s policy agenda which includes advocating for change at the city, county, and federal levels. Highlights of Teya’s work so far include getting $7.5 million into the LA city budget to support the expansion of emergency shelters and services for survivors of domestic violence, working on a November ballot measure campaign to provide funding for housing and homelessness services, and advocating to get women recognized in federal reporting on homelessness through a congressional appropriations bill.  

Teya credits her cocurricular activities at Overlake as preparing her for a job in public policy and advocacy. “JSA taught me how to navigate political situations and big personalities” while “learning how to think critically and communicate clearly in my English classes set me up incredibly well to be in the policy space” shares Teya whose favorite memories of Overlake include meeting her best friend, Mary Javier (’18), performing in Music Man, and learning through project week experiences.  

Though Teya misses the Seattle rain, she’s finding a home in the City of Angels, making friends with people who are passionate about social change and enjoying LA’s “unparalleled” food scene. Teya has even started up a ballet class of late.