Chantha, who prefers to go by Tina, is a second generation Khmer American and first within her family born in the States. After escaping war and genocide in Cambodia, followed by a series of refugee camps in Southeast Asia, her family resettled in United States in 1982. The middle of seven girls, Tina grew up attending Oakland public schools and later San Francisco State University for her undergrad.
She started at HAC as an intern through her undergraduate program in Spring and Summer 2009. After graduating with a B.S. in Health Education that same year, Tina lived and studied in her family’s native Cambodia for a year. Her desire to serve and work alongside the Southeast Asian community naturally brought her back to work at HAC. Tina became an advocate in June 2011. In 2020, she took on the role of Intake Coordinator at HAC, screening clients for eligibility of services. Since 2021, she voluntarily serves on the board for Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants, a non-profit that provides mental and holistic services for immigrant communities in Oakland.
B.S., Health Education, San Francisco State University, 2009