Aparajita Jeedigunta was born in a small town along the Southeastern Indian coast and grew up in Hyderabad. She migrated to the US at the age of 14, settling in Michigan. She started her undergrad as pre-med, but due to a traumatic brain injury, she opted to study psychology after researching her condition extensively. While pursuing graduate studies for her Master's and doctorate in psychology, she unfortunately suffered another traumatic brain injury. She recovered once more and engaged in extensive academic research and teaching. Recently, she has become a vocal advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion.