C.J. Espittia is a Ph.D. student in Reading Education and Language Arts, as well as an R2D2 fellow working with Dr. Sonia Cabell. She graduated from the University of Florida in 2020 with her master's degree in early childhood education. Before starting her Ph.D., she worked in Miami-Dade County as a 2nd grade reading teacher and a preschool teacher. C.J.’s research interests include early literacy prevention and intervention for high-risk populations, as well as bridging the gap between research and practice for early childhood stakeholders. Through R2D2, she will also be pursuing the Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia at the University of Florida.