Hello! My name is Sophia Garcia-Meza and I am a third-year undergraduate student at the University of California Los Angeles pursuing a degree in Political Science. I first became aware of the racial disparities in the alarming United States’ maternal mortality rate through Courageous Conversation webinars I attended at the height of the global pandemic in 2020. This newfound knowledge sparked my interest in perinatal advocacy, specifically for birth-givers of color, and in 2022 I became a certified labor, delivery, and postpartum doula through Cornerstone Doula Trainings. During my undergraduate studies, I researched the maternal mortality rate in the USA and applied a human rights perspective informed by the UN’S Sustainable Development Goals, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women to address racial disparities and propose healthcare reform solutions. I am thrilled to intern at HMHBA to support the crucial work of this organization and use this opportunity to make meaningful and impactful contributions to improve health outcomes for birth-givers and their families.