Leorah McGinnis studies Zoology and Biochemistry at Colorado State University, in Fort Collins. This pre-veterinary student would like to become a veterinarian specializing in exotics, and is also interested in biochemistry. Leorah has been a PADI certified SCUBA diver for several years, and hopes to continue diving for the rest of her life. Being under the ocean and seeing the incredible range of life down there fires Leorah up to learn about all the threats to those ecosystems, for example from invasive species and pollution. “It would be incredible if I could work with marine animals in the future,” she dreams.

Leorah volunteers in a laboratory through the Honors Undergraduate Research Program, and is a member of the Pre-Vet and Zoology clubs at CSU. She greatly admires her parents, high school sweethearts who are highly educated, and whose lives have been filled with “incredible adventures”. She strives to make them proud and to have an equally full life. Leorah enjoys swing dancing with the CSU Swing Society in her spare time, and is a devoted Yoga practitioner.