Ashley Yao
姚嘉琳
Assistant Dance Coach
Ashley is a dedicated transportation professional focused on enhancing safety and accessibility across the SoCal region. She earned her B.S. in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly SLO and a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA.
Her favorite part of being on the Miss LA Chinatown court? The deep sense of sisterhood with her fellow court members and MLAC alumni. She sees the Meet The Court event as a chance to gather support for their community service efforts.
Ashley joined the pageant to honor her family and the Chinese community that has been her anchor through many moves. The CCCLA’s commitment to preserving culture and traditions in LA Chinatown resonates deeply with her.
Age: 26
Ashley Yao is currently working as a transportation engineering and planning consultant. She received her Bachelor's in Civil Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and studied for a Master's in Urban and Regional Planning from University of California, Los Angeles. As a transportation consultant, she conducts technical work and public outreach for local government agencies in the Southern California region. She's passionate about how her work leads to improving safety outcomes and produces infrastructure solutions for local communities. Outside of work, she enjoys singing, dancing gaming, reading, and playing tennis. Growing up, Ashley's family moved several times eventually settling down in Riverside. In all of these places, the community that kept her grounded was the Chinese community. Ashley is honored to participate in Miss Los Angeles Chinatown as it is the perfect opportunity for her to give back to the community that raised her.
