Carolina Rios is a graduating senior at Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where she went through the International Baccalaureate program. She will be starting her college career at NYU in the fall as a Biology and Biomolecular Engineering dual major.

As the daughter of a Navy officer, she has grown up by the ocean. Her upbringing, and the encouragement of her parents, has founded in her an interest in climate science.

Rios has worked on several environmental projects, such as the creation of a the first field guide of flowering plants on the preserved land at Pleasure House Point.

She is the editor of the award winning high school newspaper, The Page, and the high school literary magazine, The Kaleidoscope. As such, she is passionate about giving students a voice.

She also enjoys woodworking, and worked with Johnny Johnson to make a wooden carving of a Great Blue Heron, which was donated to the Annual Oyster Roast auction to raise funds for Lynnhaven River Now.

Rios is a two sport varsity athlete, crew and swim. She also enjoys skiing and hiking in her free time.

Though a long-time environmental advocate, Rios owes her recent delve into the field of conservation to her mentor, Mrs. Katie Liakos, who brought her in on the field guide project and advised her experiment regarding root zone graywater treatment.

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