Rikki-Lee Ulibarri grew up in a small, rural town called Tierra Amarilla in northern New Mexico. The town's name translates to yellow earth. She moved to Albuquerque, N.M., in the fall of 2006 to attend the University of New Mexico. Rikki-Lee is currently pursuing degrees in print journalism and Spanish and plans to graduate in the spring of 2010. She writes for her university’s daily newspaper, The Daily Lobo, and specializes in reporting on topics concerning the environment and health issues.