Originally from St. Petersburg, Florida, Z'Kera Sims, earned her bachelor’s degree from Howard University. There, she participated in the AmeriCorps Jumpstart program to which she credits catalyzing her passion and career in public health. She earned her Master of Public Health degree from Jackson State University. Since graduating, Z'Kera has contributed to the design and implementation of a reproductive health education curriculum for the Healthy Start Federal Project in Florida. She also completed an internship with the Federal Government at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, providing resources to care for women with substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders. Most recently, Z'Kera worked with Safe Kids Worldwide providing outreach and education to communities to prevent unintentional injuries among kids.