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Research Assistant Contributors

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Kina Desai, Duke University

Kina Desai is a Duke undergraduate studying public policy and global health. She has worked with Para Los Niños, a nonprofit with charter schools serving Los Angeles youth, and LA County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. She also founded Draws For A Cause, supporting children in Central America.

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Ajibola Nureni-Yusuf, Northwestern University

Ajibola (Aji) Nureni-Yusuf is a Political Science and Psychology major at Northwestern University. She joined the CIDR study as a Research Assistant in the summer of 2026, where she explored how wellbeing, belonging, and agency can be defined, understood, and measured through the lived experiences of ESL youth.

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Maia Torres Calixto, Duke University

Maia Torres Calixto is a junior at Duke University studying Public Policy and pursuing the Child Policy Research Certificate. She was born in Mexico City and immigrated to Tampa, Fl in elementary school. She is a previous ELL student and is excited to be part of this project.

Rae Rackley

Rae Rackley, Duke University

Rae Rackley is a Duke University public policy major and statistics minor interested in designing policies that center lived experiences and promote human flourishing. Her research and advocacy span educational equity, voting rights, and criminal justice, with an emphasis on community-informed policy.