Xiomara Barillas is a first-generation fifth-year student majoring in Molecular Cell Biology and Physiology with a minor in Chemistry. Spring 2026 marks four and a half years working with Dr. Kimberly Kelly in the Child Language Interactions and Memory (CLIaM) Lab. Inspired by her younger siblings and a desire to foster their interest in STEM, she joined the CLIaM Lab to gain professional research experience and to better understand how children engage with STEM in informal learning environments. Through her work in the lab, Xiomara has focused on developing her prioritization and time management skills while seeing CLIaM as a strong environment for professional growth and collaboration. Xiomara has actively participated in multiple research conferences and symposia. She co-presented at the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) Symposium with Caitlin Fourrat in Spring 2022 and again in Spring 2023 alongside Dr. Kelly and other research assistants. She also presented research at the Western Psychological Association (WPA) Conference in 2023, the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Conference in Spring 2024 and Spring 2025, and the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Conference in Spring 2025. In Spring 2025, Xiomara also presented a paper at the Student Research Competition (SRC) at California State University, Long Beach with fellow research assistant Harmony Panameno, earning second place in their category and first place at the undergraduate level. Through her research experience, Xiomara has strengthened her reading, writing, listening, and qualitative coding skills. With a strong interest in helping others, Xiomara plans to pursue dental school after graduation. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, watching shows, shopping, spending time with family and friends, visiting amusement parks, and trying out new cooking and baking recipes she finds online.