Siena is an 8th-grade student at St. Christopher School in San Jose, CA. She was challenged to solve a problem in her community through a capstone project. Her project developed in a very organic way: first, she identified the most pressing needs of animals in an animal shelter. Then, she brainstormed how to raise funds to help the animals and last, she ensured that her project could continue while she's still in school.

Siena met with CEO Robert Armburst of the Palo Alto Humane to discuss their biggest needs. This led to her decision to raise money to provide more spay and neuter services through the Palo Alto Humane Society. She chose to knit hats for animals because it's something she loves to do, and selling them would help raise funds. However, she realized she couldn't knit enough hats on her own. This is when she read about the benefits of animal visits at local retirement communities. She decided to engage the elderly in knitting, providing them with purpose and a sense of connection.

Being an animal and fashion lover, Siena used her skills to help both animals and the elderly in her community. She lives in San Jose with her loving parents, Gabriella and Raul Contreras, and her little sister, Gigi. Siena has 3 cats, Luna, Diego, and Frida, all of whom were adopted and rescued from the local animal shelter.