A’Ja Lyons was born and raised in Sunnyside, the oldest African-American community in southern Houston, Texas. The daughter of an English as a Second Language teacher, A’Ja was exposed to literacy concepts from an early age from her mother. A’Ja attended St. Mary’s of the Purification Montessori Catholic School, DECATS Houston, and the Ensemble Theater’s Young Performers Program. A’Ja has performed with Ames Community Theater and Boone Community Theater.
A’Ja utilizes her proficiency in English to provide literacy tutoring as well as in activism for social causes. A’Ja has volunteered with Career and Recovery Resources, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, Houston Women’s Clinic, Houston NOW, Pro Choice Houston, Iowa Abortion Access Fund, and Black Lives Matter: Boone County, Iowa. 2015 was the year of the inaugural Iowa Undergraduate Human Rights Research conference and A’Ja presented on state telemedicine abortion rights in Iowa.
A’Ja graduated with a Bachelor’s of Liberal Studies from Iowa State University and is currently a graduate student at Iowa State in the Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Environment program.
A’Ja is a member of American MENSA and the Association of Writers and Writing Programs.
A'Ja Lyons 