Born in the Southwest and raised on the Central Coast of California, Christiana has always had a curiosity and passion for the natural world. She pursued this passion along the California coast during her undergraduate studies attending USD, UCSC, and finishing in her hometown at Cal Poly, SLO with a BS in the Biological Sciences with a concentration in Marine Biology. This is where her passion for educating through hands-on learning really began to blossom. She completed an internship in Maui, Hawaii through the Pacific Whale Foundation where she helped to identify and assess major threats to cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) around the world and helped to develop science-based solutions to mitigate these problems. Upon returning to the beautiful Central Coast, Christiana decided to pursue her master’s degree and teaching credential in the Agricultural Sciences department at Cal Poly, SLO. She has experience teaching elementary students, junior high chemistry, and most recently high school physics. She believes in equitable environmental education for all students. In her spare time, Christiana loves to travel to exotic destinations and explore the beautiful and rugged California coastline with her husband and Goldendoodle Penny.