Two key ideas have driven Lydia throughout her career: People have the power to make government work for them, and their voices and perspectives matter to policymakers. She is passionate about ensuring that every child, regardless of socioeconomic status, has access to quality educational and career opportunities; further, she firmly believes that this requires a holistic approach, and that technology plays a vital role in making these expanded opportunities a reality. Currently, Lydia serves as a senior policy researcher for CTeL, where she is responsible for tracking and analyzing current federal and state legislation, along with researching and drafting in-depth reports and other policy materials. She also serves as an advisor, legislative-executive integration, for Emerging Rule. Prior to that, Lydia spent two years on Capitol Hill; along with an extensive portfolio of other legislative issues, she served as the office’s lead point of contact for education policy. In 2015, she formulated and drafted the Member's College Affordability Agenda, which was comprised of legislation both addressing the cost of higher education and encouraging action on the workforce development side. In 2016, she conceptualized, drafted, and garnered stakeholder support for the Early STEM Achievement Act, legislation aimed at promoting STEM education in early childhood.Lydia graduated from Columbia University in 2013 with an M.A. in sociology and education, concentration in policy. During her first year there, she conducted research on the efficacy of afterschool and summer programs. Her graduate work gave her a deep understanding both of the societal roots of inequity in the U.S. as well as of current policy issues. Prior to that, Lydia worked in the government relations practice group of Drinker Biddle & Reath in Washington, D.C., where she helped to plan grassroots Hill days and advise clients on outreach strategy. She received a B.A., cum laude, from Tufts University in 2008.