Miya Rodolfo-Sioson was born in the Philippines in 1968 and raised in Ames, Iowa. Following the death of their father, Miya and her three older brothers were raised in a single-parent home by their mother, Sonya.

In 1996, Miya moved to Berkeley, the birthplace of the disability rights movement, where she dedicated her life to advancing the rights of the disabled.

Professionally, Miya worked with a student exchange organization, coordinating the home-stays of students from Spain, France, China, and Austria. Additionally, Miya edited the book “The Peace Corps and More,” a guide to working and studying abroad.

Miya attended college at the University of Iowa where she became interested in Central America. On November 1st, 1991, physics graduate student Lu Gang went on a shooting rampage, killing five and injuring Miya before turning the gun on himself. The shooting left Miya paralyzed from the neck down.

In May of 2007, Miya was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer. After 18 months of battling the disease, Miya passed away on December 3, 2008.

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