Something fishy

Don José Tintaya is the man who remembers his father leaving the hacienda in Carmen Pampa after being beaten bloody for disobediance. He was one of the community members who supported Sister Damon as she founded the college. He believed that education could transform our world.

Saida Tintaya successfully defended her research project today, Don José's daughter, the dream made flesh, just one generation later.


Photo: Saida Tintaya awaits the grade on her research project.

Saida studied the effect of water temperature on the production of an amazonian fish, tambaquí, to see whether it would adapt to this climate. She discovered that it will grow under local conditions, but will grow significantly faster in the warmer months.

Saida asked me to thank Sister Damon for inspiring her, and Dr. Michael Brown at South Dakota State University for helping with advice and materials to measure the fish as they grew.

Saida has a small clinic in the Alto of La Paz, where she works with her husband Guido, another student soon to defend at the college. Guido was not there today because he was helping farmers in a far-off community Charazani with a chicken project. We are proud of Saida for her success and her work that benefits people in the campo, fulfilling the college's mission. One person at a time. There has never been any other way.


Photo: Saida stands with (L to R) vet department director Martín Morales, her mother Gertrudis, her statistics advisor Ramiro Ochoa, her father José, Vice Director Hugh Smeltekop and her research advisor Constancio Calsina.