Makiya Stewart (she/her) is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Indiana University, majoring in Counseling and Student Services with an English minor. Makiya proudly embraces her identity as a biracial Black and White woman, while also acknowledging the nuances of her racial ambiguity.
During her undergraduate career, she spent 2 years as a diversity ambassador for the School of Education’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion where she helped facilitate events for underrepresented students on campus. In addition, Makiya has served her hometown community in several positions at Bloomington’s Banneker Community Center, including summer camp counselor, afterschool recreation leader (Fairview Elementary), and building supervisor. These experiences have fostered a deep passion for serving underserved and underrepresented populations, with a specified interest in serving low-income communities.
As a researcher, Makiya is interested in the social-emotional, psychological, behavioral, and academic well-being of multiracial youth. More specifically, she is interested in studying identity development, belonging, and socialization of multiracial youth. She is particularly interested in understanding how interracial and cross-cultural school relationships influence these factors. In the future, she plans to obtain a master's in social work degree, followed by a doctoral degree in School Psychology. Her ultimate goal is to foster an inclusive school environment that supports the well-being of all students.
