Judi Babbitt is a former foster youth, first-generation, re-entry, student parent, and
veteran majoring in Economics at UC Berkeley. Judi is a scholar in the
YEDI
(Youth Equity Discovery Initiative) program, a research training and mentorship program at
i4Y
(Innovations for Youth), a research action center focused on youth equity based in Berkeley School of Public Health. As a YEDI scholar and research assistant with the Transition-Age
Youth Research and Evaluation Hub (TAY-Hub), Judi utilizes her lived experience and personal motivations to create critical change for populations that mirror her own experiences. Her intersecting identities add value to the multiple other organizations she is involved in, including;
Berkeley Hope Scholars as a former foster youth; the
Cal Veteran Service Center as a retired veteran serving
26 years in the United States Air Force; and the
Student Parents Center as a student parent herself. Judi's research interests focus on the longitudinal outcomes from child welfare policies/practices/ systems affecting transition-age foster youth. Judi is chasing her passion for helping others and starting her second career using her educational background in Economics to spark change in public policy focusing on vulnerable populations.