Asia Ivey is a junior psychology major at Spelman College. Asia’s research interests focus on the trauma of poverty on educational achievement, as well as the way Black students value their education based on their understanding of their socioeconomic status. Asia found her calling to study poverty and education after spending summers with Freedom School and seeing a lack of intrinsic motivation within her students. This led her to specifically focus on poverty and traumatic stress within Black, middle school aged students. After graduating Spelman College, Asia plans to attend graduate school and pursue her doctoral degree in developmental psychology. After receiving her doctoral degree, Asia hopes to consult with schools and train teachers on the value of inclusion and the influence of poverty on achievement and development.