Student Profile: Aja Houle (MPA candidate ‘21)

In November 2019, Aja Houle (MPA candidate ‘21) walked into the Oakland Police Department. She was there to file a report on the man who had trafficked her when she was just fourteen years old. It was an important step in the thirteen-year-long journey of courage and recovery that’s led Aja from the trauma of being a commercially sexually exploited child (CSEC) to being an advocate and a policy student at the Goldman School.

In addition to being a Master of Public Affairs student and a mother of four, Aja works as a program coordinator for VOICES Sonoma, an organization that supports foster, probation, and homeless youth in Sonoma County. She also stays connected with anti-trafficking advocacy work through a local support group.

“I thought about going into social work,” says Aja. “But personal life experiences with court systems, law enforcement, and social workers offered me insight that the most impactful changes for this issue lie within policy.”

Aja sees housing as a top priority for trafficked children. “Nobody wants to be trafficked,” she says. “But for many, it’s a question of survival. We know that these kids don’t belong in the juvenile justice system and social workers ask me all the time for diversion programs. But there are no diversion programs in my area and, in the meantime, we need housing just to keep the children safe.”

She also points to changes that are needed in case management. “Trafficked children need hands-on case management,” she says. “They shouldn’t be treated like criminals. In many cases, parents are open to help as they notice their child acting out or hanging out with older people. We could prevent a lot of trafficking if social services could intervene earlier.”

When asked what motivates her in policy work and keeps her going despite the demands of a job, parenting, and the rigors of policy school, Aja points to the many children who are going through what she went through.

“I’ve lost a lot of sleep thinking of the barriers that are still in place for these young people,” she says. “CSEC Youth don't need to be forced into systems such as probation or foster care. I want to create a safe space that is tailored to the underlying complex needs that go unmet. Youth are not always comfortable sharing their stories and providers are not always adequately trained to address the issues. As a survivor, I can attest to the ongoing empowerment and hope that is needed to rebuild life from the bottom up again. I know that trafficking is a huge problem and that I'm not going to be able to solve it alone. But if I can spread awareness and bring about some meaningful change, that’s good enough for me.”