Sofia Aguilar, a native of Los Angeles, California, graduated from the University of California, Merced in 2024 with a bachelor's degree in Public Health. She was a Student Researcher in Dr. Yen’s Housing, Opportunity and Place (HOPe) Lab in the Department of Public Health. In this role, Sofia assisted with research on education and state policy. The position involved analyzing and screening state-level school discipline policies, followed by coding the policies. Sofia’s academic endeavor consists of 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.