Samuel Sandoval is a 2026 intern with the Research Experience for Community College Students (RECCS) program, led by the CIRES Center for Education, Engagement, and Evaluation (CEEE). This summer, Sandoval is studying the connection between cheatgrass growth and wildfire burn severity with support from his mentor Emily Nagamoto. He has spent the past couple of weeks hiking in the mountains collecting data. Growing up, Sandoval wanted to be a musician and travel the world — now, at Aims Community College, he is studying mathematics so that he can understand the world around him.