Nyssa Thompson was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and enjoyed the opportunity to travel the globe as a Navy dependent until her parents retired in the Washington, D.C., area. She graduated from the University of Scranton with bachelor's degrees in neuroscience and philosophy. She was also a member of the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts (SJLA) Honors Program.

Before joining the MOAA team, she worked as a public speaker and assisted in the recruitment of new students for the University of Scranton admissions department. She started at MOAA in March 2021 and works as a member service representative.