Sofia Aguilar, a native of Los Angeles, California, is a fourth-year student at the University of California, Merced, pursuing an undergraduate degree in Public Health. She is a Student Researcher in Dr. Yen’s Housing, Opportunity and Place (HOPe) Lab in the Department of Public Health. In this role, Sofia assists with research on education and state policy. The position involves analyzing and screening state-level school discipline policies, followed by coding the policies. Sofia’s academic endeavor involves pursuing a PhD after her bachelor's degree. Passionate about public health promotion and one day serving underserved communities at a local and global level, Sofia Aguilar’s goal is to one day work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.