Emily Ibarra is a graduate student at the LBJ School of Public Affairs pursuing a Master’s in Public Affairs. She is interested in studying the issues impacting black and brown bodies in regards to physical and mental health, size and (dis)ability. Emily graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Sociology. After graduating, Emily engaged in research that focused on community-based health interventions while being employed at the Texas Department of State Health Services. At the LBJ School, Emily serves as Secretary of the Latinx Caucus, Students Unidos, and is the founder of the UT Outpost Food Pantry at LBJ. She was also a participant in LBJenius, where she gave a talk called, “You Need to Lose Weight”: Racism, Fatphobia and the Slender Aesthetic. After graduation, Emily hopes to continue to engage in projects that speak to her truth -- projects that encourage creativity and innovation -- with the hopes of positively impacting the lives around her.