Karina grew up in Tijuana, Mexico. She and her family first immigrated to the U.S. in 2009, and first visited Santa Barbara in 2017. Karina graduated from the University of California - Santa Barabara in 2021 with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychological and Brain Sciences and a minor in Applied Psychology. They first began working with PeerBuddies as a Volunteer Facilitator for PeerBuddies' Inclusion Camp in 2018. She continued to volunteer in various Social Skills Groups, Inclusion Camps, and Private Sessions. Karina was officially added onto the PeerBuddies Team in September, 2020. Despite only working with PeerBuddies for one year, she is grateful for the time she has spent with them since 2018. In their free time, Karina spends her time reading books, taking care of her house plants, or playing with her 10-year old cat, Mozart.