Experts in the Community

Civil rights organization ACLU of Alaska relies on its UAA alumni workforce to make its advocacy efforts personal

By Matt Jardin

Any frequent traveler can tell you that nobody knows an area better than the locals — the restaurants to try, the sights to see and the routes to take. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alaska takes a similar approach when it comes to civil rights. When advocating for a community, the people who know how to do that work best are the people from that community. Of the 13 staffers at ACLU of Alaska, five are UAA alumni.

Before its founding in 1971, ACLU of Alaska originated as disparate state chapters of the national ACLU organization, a nonpartisan nonprofit that defends civil rights and individual liberties through litigation, legislation, advocacy and education.

Since then, ACLU of Alaska has addressed a variety of constitutional violations that include: prompting the nation’s first judicial decision that transgender individuals have a constitutional right to a correct gender marker on their driver’s licenses; challenging Alaska’s failure to provide non-English voting materials to Alaska Natives voters; scoring an Alaska Supreme Court victory that the government may not discriminatorily tax lesbian and gay couples; defending the right of mentally ill prisoners to apply for parole; and resisting legislative attempts to infringe on Alaska women’s reproductive rights.

Landmark wins like those are more than the result of effective fundraising, organizing, litigating and executing. ACLU of Alaska’s track record is thanks to the efforts of Alaskans, particularly those who are also Seawolves, working tirelessly to make their home a better place for everyone.

Tuan Graziano
B.B.A. Economics ’23
Donor relations manager

The newest UAA graduate to join ACLU of Alaska, Tuan Graziano, B.B.A. Economics ’23, serves as donor relations manager. In this critical position, Graziano secures essential financial support for the organization by building relationships with donors and communicating to them the complex needs of their fellow Alaskans.

According to Graziano, his time at UAA positioned him perfectly to work at ACLU of Alaska right after graduating. Specifically, his terms as student government vice president and president, his tenure as secretary-general for Model United Nations and his volunteering for Anchorage Youth Vote developed his ability to work diplomatically with various stakeholders that is key in his role in donor relations.

In addition to these skills, Graziano also credits his experience at UAA with fostering his broader sense of community. Having previously worked in finance, he eventually wanted to combine his professional work with his advocacy efforts for the betterment of everyone.

“My road to Damascus moment came when I realized that I wanted to take the one foot in my volunteer life and the other foot in my professional life and bring them together to be on the same path forward working in an organization that was enshrined in the community,” said Graziano.

Moira Pyhala
B.A. Political Science ’22, C.T.1. Civic Engagement ’22
Organizing manager

Having the right numbers isn’t only important when it comes to funds, but also when it comes to people. As organizing manager for ACLU of Alaska at the time of this writing, Moira Pyhala, B.A. Political Science ’22, C.T.1. Civic Engagement ’22, coordinates on-the-ground demonstration efforts — the most visible aspect of any movement.

Organizing is something Pyhala was introduced to at a relatively young age. Growing up in Soldotna, her high school shut down due to lack of funding during her junior year, leaving the education of around 200 students uncertain. This sparked a flame in Pyhala and many of her classmates, driving them to rally across town and testify at school board meetings.

Seeing the power of collective voice, Pyhala attended UAA while serving as president of the reproductive justice student organization Generation Action and interning in Washington, D.C., through the UAA Center for Community Engagement and Learning. Educationally poised to work in the nonprofit sector, after graduating she worked for Food Bank of Alaska, Planned Parenthood and the Alaska Legal Services Corporation before arriving at ACLU of Alaska.

“My connection to Alaska is definitely reaffirmed in the education I received in state. Through the UA system I’ve learned so much just about how to promote healthy communities across the board from Juneau all the way to Utqiagvik,” said Pyhala.

Matt Green
B.A. Political Science ’23
Legal assistant

Outside of the news and prime-time television, legal work is often done behind the scenes. As legal assistant, Matt Green, B.A. Political Science ’23, has his hands on every ACLU of Alaska litigation effort, which is the main driver when it comes to defending civil liberties and enacting societal change.

Motivated to study politics by the results of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Green enrolled at UAA to save money while checking off his prerequisite courses. What began as a financial decision eventually became a process of realization as the connections he made among the faculty and his fellow classmates helped him realize that he wanted to focus on law.

Eventually, Green wanted to channel the emphasis on legal studies toward benefitting his community, noting the alignment between the research into localized issues and development of creative solutions taught at UAA with the objectives of advocacy groups like ACLU of Alaska.

“Because of how isolated it can feel living in Alaska, it can be really hard to actualize the value of the community or see yourself as a young adult within it. So I think it’s so valuable to attend UAA because you begin to deeply see the ways in which the community here is so valuable,” said Green.

Nithya Thiru
B.A. History ’14
Queer and Trans Justice Program manager

Fundraising, organizing and litigating all intersect in the execution of ACLU of Alaska’s various initiatives like its Queer and Trans Justice Program. Managed by Nithya Thiru, B.A. History ’14, the program recently arose to combat anti-trans policies and movements in boroughs throughout the state.

Much of Thiru’s work is about building connections by being embedded in the community and simply listening — listening for concerns that can be relayed to donors, listening for partnerships that can yield opportunities to organize, listening for injustices that may require legal recourse.

Listening to different perspectives during class and drawing connections from historical inequities to policy solutions is what inspired Thiru to pursue a Master of Public Administration at Columbia University after earning their bachelor’s at UAA. Listening is also what brought them back to work to improve the lives of fellow LGBTQ Alaskans.

“Spending time away made me realize how much Alaska really is home. So coming back for me has meant trying to uplift the diverse communities that exist within Alaska and highlight that we are all important parts of this community, especially those that face discrimination and marginalization,” said Thiru.

Want to learn more about the ACLU of Alaska and the work of these UAA alumni? Read more at acluak.org or follow @acluofalaska on social media.