Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyra Vocci.
Hi Kyra, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My career has really been a journey of growing into roles that combine people, operations, and purpose. I started my career in higher education after earning my degree in Business Management from Washington College, and I’ve spent about 18 years at Johns Hopkins University, where I have gradually moved into increasingly complex administrative and research administration roles.
Most recently, I served as Administrative Manager for the Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute at Johns Hopkins, where I oversaw a broad range of administrative, financial, operational, and research administration functions. That role gave me the opportunity to work closely with faculty, researchers, and staff and really deepened my passion for helping research move forward by creating strong systems and supporting the people behind the work.
I’ve recently transitioned into an Associate Director role in Research Administration, focused on pre-award services for the Whiting School of Engineering. It’s been an exciting next step because it allows me to bring together everything I’ve learned over the years – research administration, financial management, process improvement, leadership, and, probably most importantly, building relationships and helping teams succeed.
Outside of my professional life, I’m also very passionate about advocacy and community work. After losing my sister Andrea in 2023, I founded Andrea’s Wish Foundation, which focuses on raising awareness and providing support around perinatal mental health. That experience has profoundly shaped me and reinforced how much I value work that has a meaningful impact on people’s lives.
So, I’d say my story has really been about continuing to grow, taking on new challenges, and finding ways to use my skills to make things better – both professionally and in my community.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced was losing my sister, Andrea, in 2023. Her death completely changed my life and, for a long time, I struggled to understand how to move forward while carrying that loss.
Eventually, I realized that I didn’t want her story to end with her death. I wanted to turn the pain of losing her into something that could help other families. That’s what led me to create Andrea’s Wish Foundation, in her memory, to raise awareness about perinatal mental health and help connect mothers and families with support and resources.
Building the foundation while grieving has certainly been challenging, but it has also given my grief a sense of purpose. Through the foundation, advocacy work, fundraising, and sharing Andrea’s story, I’ve met so many incredible people and seen firsthand how important it is for families to feel supported and not alone.
I think that experience has changed me both personally and professionally. It has made me more compassionate, more resilient, and much more aware of the importance of showing up for people – especially during the moments when they need it most. I can’t change what happened to Andrea, but I can try to make sure that her life continues to make a difference.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Andrea’s Wish Foundation was created from the deepest kind of heartbreak, but it has become a source of hope, connection, and purpose for me and for so many families. I founded the organization in memory of my sister, Andrea, who died in 2023 after experiencing postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.
Our mission is to raise awareness of perinatal mental health conditions and help ensure that mothers and families have access to the support they need. We believe that no mother should suffer in silence, and that asking for help should never feel like a sign of weakness.
What sets Andrea’s Wish Foundation apart is that our work is deeply personal. We don’t just talk about maternal mental health – we share Andrea’s story, advocate for change, connect families with resources, and raise funds to provide meaningful support. Through community events, fundraising, education, advocacy, and partnerships with organizations working in perinatal mental health, we try to turn awareness into action.
One of the things I’m most proud of is that Andrea’s story has become a way to open conversations that can quite literally save lives. We’ve been able to bring people together who have been affected by perinatal mental health in different ways – mothers, families, healthcare providers, advocates, and community members – and remind them that they are not alone.
Our foundation is really built around three things: remembering Andrea, supporting families, and creating change. Everything we do comes back to those three things.
Ultimately, I want people to know that Andrea’s Wish Foundation is more than a foundation created in memory of someone we lost. It is a promise to keep Andrea’s story alive by helping other families get the support, understanding, and compassion they deserve. We can’t change what happened to Andrea, but we can work to change what happens to the next mother who needs help.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Some of my favorite childhood memories are the simple ones spent with my family. I remember playing in the snow with my sister Andrea, coming inside with rosy cheeks and cold hands, and spending evenings gathered around fires in the family room with my parents and sisters.
Those moments didn’t seem extraordinary at the time – they were just family life. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized how special they really were. When you experience loss, you hold onto those little memories in a different way. They remind me of Andrea not just as my sister who I lost, but as the funny, joyful person she was and the childhood we shared.
Those memories are incredibly precious to me, and they’re part of what inspires me to keep Andrea’s spirit and story alive through Andrea’s Wish Foundation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.andreaswishfoundation.org/
- Instagram: andreaswishfoundation & kkvocci
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1bM6nVnZE8/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/share/1FQAE3KEKr/?mibextid=wwXIfr
