Leia Yen

Leia Yen is a co-executive director and co-founder of Global Community College Transfers (GCCT), the first national network and professional development program dedicated to helping American community college students access global career and educational opportunities. In 2023, she played a key role in launching the Community College Global Affairs Fellowship with the Meridian International Center and Community Colleges for International Development. This summer program, backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, offers community college students evidence-based skill-building, mentorship, and continuous access to crucial networks and career support essential for advancing in global affairs.

As an alumna of El Camino College (’17), who transferred to UCLA (’19), Leia’s commitment to opening up transformative learning and career opportunities for community college students is personal. She champions the idea that the diverse insights and talents found in community colleges have the power to make a significant global impact. Her dedication was recognized when she became the first UCLA community college transfer student to receive the Marshall Scholarship, enabling her to pursue a Master of Science in social science of the internet at the Oxford Internet Institute and a Master of Arts in digital humanities at King's College London.

Leia is currently working towards an EdD in organizational change and leadership at the University of Southern California. She uses her research interests in digital literacy, internet technologies, artificial intelligence, education, and character development to consider how to prepare students for a professional, personal, and civic life increasingly affected by technology.