Kimberly Cardona

Something About Me

Originally from the Montebello area of Los Angeles, I am a Promise Scholar in my third year of pursuing my B.S. in Environmental Studies at UCSB, where I hope to pursue a Master’s in Environmental Management at the Bren School. My focus for environmental work derives from my commitment to wildlife conservation. My passion for protecting wildlife first came from caring for reptiles and other animals for my church teacher when I was a teenager, and ever since then I’ve enjoyed caring for animals. In the spring of 2024, I worked as a Wildlife Rehabilitation Intern at the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network, where my responsibilities included caring for specific animal needs such as diets, administering medicine, and setting up enclosures. The internship provided me with a wide range of opportunities for testing my interest in working with wildlife, from attending to their physical needs to developing my skills as part of the team of volunteers, animal caretakers, and vet technicians. The internship confirmed for me my commitment to wildlife conservation, something that I hope to explore at the Bren School. Besides my off-campus internship and my studies, I participate in two on-campus clubs, Iaorana Te Otea (ITO), which is a Polynesian dance and drumming club, and UCSB Strikers, which is a boxing club. I also work locally as a barista and, in my free time, I enjoy drawing, watching local punk and metal bands play, and reading, including thrillers and self help books.