Paulina

Paulina is a published author, educator and essayist with extensive experience guiding high school students through personal storytelling, helping them craft thoughtful, original, and emotionally resonant essays. A talented writer and editor, she also leads creative writing groups and mentors young writers through various projects, in 2021, Paulina was the recipient of an endowed fellowship at MacDowell, a renowned artist residency program in New Hampshire.

Finding the humor in everyday life is a recurring theme in Paulina’s life and work. She has taught Comedy Writing to high school students since 2017, and her undergraduate thesis at Barnard examined the cultural impact of comedian Joan Rivers.

Outside of academia, Paulina pursued improvisational and sketch comedy at The Second City Conservatory, sharpening her ability to help students find their voice, embrace vulnerability, and write with authenticity.

Paulina is the co-author of It Doesn’t Have to Be Awkward, a teen guide to consent published by Clarion Teen. Her personal essays and cultural commentary have appeared in Vogue, Cosmopolitan, HuffPost Women, Columbia Journal, Narratively, and Slackjaw Humor, among others. When not coaching other writers, she enjoys figure skating and is working on a memoir.