Paola holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an A.A. in Life Science from Howard Community College. During her time at UMD, she mentored adult ESOL cohorts and helped them overcome functional English language challenges through the Maryland Mentor Corps Family Literacy Program. She was also a teaching assistant for the microbiology department. She is passionate about biomedical research and STEAM education. She also loves fostering connections with others and getting them excited about STEAM! When she's not in the lab or being a proud science terp, she loves going to concerts, trying new restaurants in the DMV, and traveling!