Tia grew up in Iowa City, Iowa, graduating from Iowa City High School in 2013, where her favorite activities included performing with the 4th Avenue Jazz Company show choir and singing with the Select Women's Ensemble. Born into a family of loyal Iowa Hawkeyes, Tia remained in Iowa City after high school to attend the University of Iowa. She received a bachelor's degree in Psychology with Anthropology and Aging Studies minors in 2016, with her work focused on studying the cognitive capabilities of pigeons. After exploring an array of careers, from photography to zookeeping, Tia finally decided to attend the University of Iowa College of Law to learn how to advocate for our civil rights and liberties. Determined to gain experience with nonprofits and serving the community, Tia worked with the Iowa Supreme Court's Access to Justice Commission, the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights, Jacksonville Urban League's Center for Advocacy and Social Justice, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, and the Community Empowerment Law Project at Iowa Law.
Tia's law school highlights include traveling to Ithaca, New York, to intern for the Cornell Law School First Amendment Clinic, spending two years at the Iowa Law Review, and learning more about the ACLU's efforts within the social justice space by working with the ACLU affiliates in Iowa, Florida, Missouri, and Oklahoma as well as the national ACLU at various times throughout her law school journey. Tia graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2023 and, finally leaving the nest, joined the ACLU of Nevada in Las Vegas soon afterward as a Legal Fellow. Tia is thrilled to remain within the ACLU family after law school and to continue learning from her incredible and dedicated coworkers. In her free time, Tia enjoys running, listening to true crime podcasts, and spending time with her favorite travel buddies, cats Artemis and Ajax and bearded dragon Kronos.
