Sister Trish T. Doan, CSJ
Sister Trish T. Doan, CSJ, is a passionate advocate committed to social justice, disability inclusion, and systemic change. She currently serves as the Assistant Director at The Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy, and Innovation, where her research explores the intersection of religion, immigration, and disability. In this role, she advocates for the development of faith communities that are both inclusive and responsive to the needs of people with disabilities.
As a vowed member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange—whose charism centers on fostering unity and reconciliation to bring all people into union with God and one another—Sister Trish is dedicated to promoting equity and inclusion, especially among marginalized communities, including people with disabilities, immigrants, and refugees. She previously worked with Catholic Charities of Orange County, supporting outreach initiatives and fostering partnerships with religious leaders to address pressing social service needs. While no longer in an official role, she remains committed to their mission.
Before entering religious life, Sister Trish spent a decade working as an Immigration Services Officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In this role, she conducted family-based and employment-based adjustment of status interviews and mentored new officers. She was also assigned to work on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) cases, adjudicating unaccompanied minors seeking legal protection due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment. During her work on SIJS cases, Sister Trish realized that she herself had entered the United States as an unaccompanied minor refugee, arriving with her older brother, who was two years older. This personal connection deepened her commitment to ensuring that vulnerable children navigating the immigration system are treated with dignity, compassion, and justice.
Sister Trish holds a Master of Theological Studies from Loyola Marymount University, with a concentration in Asian Theology, and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Her theological studies challenge the Eurocentric foundations of Catholic theology, advocating for a more inclusive, culturally rooted approach to faith. Asian Theology, profoundly influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, and indigenous Asian traditions, emphasizes lived experience, cultural identity, and the search for meaning within communal relationships. This perspective shapes her work at The Coelho Center, where she examines how faith communities can foster inclusive and holistic approaches to disability justice.
As a Vietnamese Catholic, Sister Trish draws from a rich spiritual heritage that values harmony, interdependence, and collective responsibility, weaving these principles into her advocacy for disability justice and systemic change. Her personal experiences as both a former refugee (boat person) and an immigration officer further inform her unwavering commitment to ensuring dignity and justice for marginalized communities.
She is fluent in English and Vietnamese and is a member of Theta Alpha Kappa, the National Honor Society for Religious Studies & Theology.
Driven by a deep commitment to justice and systemic change, Sister Trish aligns with The Coelho Center’s mission to bridge the gap between policy, innovation, and inclusion, ensuring that all individuals—regardless of background or ability—have access to justice, dignity, and opportunity.
Monique Ramirez Lemus
Monique Ramirez Lemus is a higher education professional committed to the principles of social justice and equity and supporting students in navigating barriers and finding pathways to success. She advocates with and for her students.
Monique serves as an Assistant Director for The Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy, and Innovation (The Coelho Center) at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) where she oversees the Coelho Law Fellowship Program (Law Fellowship). The aim of the Law Fellowship, a one-of-a-kind pre-law school preparation program, is to develop the pathway of disabled students to increase representation of disabled legal professionals.
As the administrator of the Law Fellowship, Monique provides comprehensive support to law fellows and alumni as they prepare for law school and learn about disability rights laws. She also assists fellows as they explore alternative pathways to leverage their leadership and experiences for positive change. Fellowship participants include college students and recent graduates from across the nation and internationally. As administrator of the program, Monique is committed to making the programming a place of belonging and access.
Monique assists the Director of The Coelho Center with administrative tasks, including assisting in organizing the Center’s conferences, media, and policy work. She supervises LMU undergraduate students who work at The Coelho Center as “Disability Justice Interns.”
Monique’s commitment to her work at The Coelho Center stems from a myriad of experiences working with diverse student populations during her career in higher education. Prior to joining LMU, Monique has worked at the University of Kansas, University of Oklahoma, and USC, working in several areas, including Student Affairs, DEI, Student Success and Academic Affairs.
Monique took a short break from higher education to work in direct care with people with I/DD, gaining experience working in early behavior intervention and with K-12 learners. She supported clients in classrooms, in clinics, and in the community. During the time Monique worked in direct care, she could not help but notice the ableist systems that continued to work against her clients’ success and that led her to seek out other opportunities to disrupt ableism and systemic barriers, and to continue fighting for the rights of those among us who are most vulnerable to systemic oppression.
Monique holds bachelor's degrees in Classics and English from USC, and a Master of Education in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs, also from USC. She is in her last semester of a Master of Arts in Exceptional Student Education with a specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis, and an Organizational Behavior Management certificate, from the University of West Florida.
Originally from Oceanside, California, Monique grew up in a US Marine military family. She is a daughter, sister, wife, and mother. She is Latina, a first-gen college student, and a person with chronic illnesses that are disabling at times. She loves to travel, music, a good book, and time in community with friends and family.