Rise Fellow 2023

Katrina is an environmental and STEM enthusiast from Brazil. Driven by her passion for activism, she volunteers with NGOs dedicated to animal protection and environmental awareness. Katrina is a New York Academy of Science’s Junior Academy member and has earned multiple medals in math and astronomy olympiads. Her writing skills have also enabled her to contribute scientific articles to local newspapers in Brazil. For her Rise project, Katrina developed a biodegradable plastic using corn or cassava starch. To raise awareness and combat plastic pollution, she established the Planet Awareness Club, an organization dedicated to disseminating information about plastic pollution and methods to mitigate its impact on the planet.