Mentors: Katie Gannon, Bella Olesky, Abby Ross

Bio: Paulina Guzman Tinoco is a student at the Community College of Denver and will be transferring to the University of Colorado Denver in Fall 2025. With a deep passion for animals, nature, and science, Paulina aspires to pursue a career that bridges both the medical field and scientific research. She is especially interested in disease (including areas like epidemiology) and hopes to explore how human health connects with the environment. Her scientific interests span from botany and aquatic ecosystems to entomology. She is also fascinated by the roles that invertebrates play in ecological balance.

Paulina participated in a biology research course at the University of New Mexico Highlands University, where she conducted a handful of fieldwork involving ant behavior, bird identification, and water conservation. As part of a collaborative project, she studied the effects of pollution and human activity on macro and micro invertebrate populations. She has been actively involved in STEM Blazers, the Community Service Club, and the Dance Club, and has held multiple roles that demonstrate her commitment to civic engagement and education, including serving as an intern and election worker with Denver Votes, working as an orthodontic assistant at Silvas Orthodontics, supporting students at the Student Planning and Resource Center at the Community College of Denver, interning with the Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, and caring for children at Tiny Toes Academy.

Paulina is excited to continue her academic journey, seeking opportunities where science, health, and a love of the natural world intersect.