Month: August 2016

My name is Tatum Halburnt and I am currently a first-year at THE Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. I am majoring in Zoology on a pre-veterinarian track. I am also apart of one of the 17 scholars’ programs offered at the university- the Environment and Natural Resources Scholars. Though I was born in Dayton, Ohio I am a military brat and have been all over the world. My father is active duty Air Force and his home of record resides in Ohio (which thankfully grants me in-state tuition at the university). I lived Valdosta, Georgia for four years, Honolulu Hawaii for four, and recently moved from being stationed in Ramstein, Germany for seven years to start my college experiences. Given the fact that Germany was the longest place I have ever resided, my ties to that country grow strong. I consider Ramstein my home and the experiences and travels I have endured shaped me into the person I am today. Being an hour away from Frankfurt Airport (one of Europe’s major international airports) gave me easy access to seeing other cities and remote places in Europe. I have hiked mountains in Killarney, Ireland, swam in the seas of Croatia, been to the top of the Eiffel Tower, ate fresh paella from Spain’s markets, camped in the Black Forest, walked around the Colosseum, experienced first hand of Morocco’s lively culture, and much much more. Growing up in Europe is a unique experience that exposes you to many different backgrounds and cultures. This forces you to be accepting of people’s views and life style choices. It also forces you to try new things and experience life. Due to my travels I have become extremely passionate about preserving the many artifacts and exotic nature our World has to offer. I want my future children to be able to see blue whales and bottle-nose dolphins interacting in the wild at Waimea Bay in Hawaii (one of my favorite child hood memories) and not in captivity. I want my children to be able to experience the raw nature of hiking in Tenerife and for them to appreciate what generations of earth activist have fought to preserve.  That is why I am proud to be apart of the ENR scholars program to further engage my passion of sustaining our world.