Zyrashae Smith is a PhD graduate from the Johns Hopkins University School of Education who studied college access for minoritized and low-income students. Stemming from her own experiences as a first-generation college student and college access advisor in Baltimore City Public Schools, she examines how institutional structures perpetuate educational inequities by serving as barriers to postsecondary access and enrollment for underrepresented, college-aspiring students. Along with her doctoral studies, Zyrashae serves as a Graduate Research Assistant for the Baltimore Education Research Consortium (BERC). She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Morgan State University and a Master of Science in Educational Studies with a graduate certificate in Urban Education from the Johns Hopkins University School of Education.