Born and raised in Germany, Celia traveled to Kenya after graduating German high school in 2013. After participating in several volunteer programs in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, Celia decided to stay in Kenya without a program. She founded the community-based organization Siku Njema Kesho shortly before moving to the United States to begin her undergraduate studies at the University of California, San Diego.

Now a global health major minoring in African Studies, Celia is interested in anthropology and continues to focus her research on Kenya and community development approaches. She frequently travels back to Kenya to work on Siku Njema Kesho and to improve her Kiswahili skills.