Kiara obtained her B.S. in Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University in May of 2022. During her time as an undergraduate student, she was an active member in research and a McNair scholar. Kiara is currently a PhD student at Virginia Commonwealth University pursuing a degree in Developmental Psychology. Her research interest is tailored towards understanding the experiences of those who are systematically disenfranchised based on their race and/or ethnicity and its connection to physical, behavioral, and psychosocial health implications. As Kiara continues to develop her skills at the graduate level, she works on community participatory action research projects to address positive youth development. As a first year, she applied and was awarded a diversity supplement grant through the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC). Kiara aims to use her studies to understand how policy influences systemic challenges for underrepresented groups intending to reform science policies to address challenges experienced by these populations.