Scholars Zoo Trip- Behind the Scenes

On October 7th, a group from the Biological Science’s scholars group visited the Columbus Zoo. During this trip, we had the chance to go behind the scenes in the Manatee exhibit. With being a Biology major and having hopes to work with animals one day, this gave me a real-life view into what my work one day could consist of. Not only did it give me insight to the job, but helped confirm what I wanted to do as a career after getting my Biology degree. I hope to be able to find an internship with similar jobs as the ones I am interested in. Overall, the zoo trip was a great and fun experience, and it was nice to feel like a kid again!

Service Engagement

In Cincinnati, there is an animal shelter called Stray Animal Adoption Program (SAAP). This volunteer based shelter helps rescue dogs and other various animals from abusive situations, kill shelters, and takes in dropped off animals and any strays. They match each animal, mostly dogs, to a foster family to take care of them while they try to find their “furever” home. Some dogs get adopted quickly, while others have been living with their foster parents for years. Although seeing so many dogs in the shelter can be heartbreaking, seeing these animals find new and loving families to take care of them overshadows these unhappy feelings with joy. The adoption process is a big step in most animal shelters like SAAP, where they need as much help as they can get. I became involved with SAAP the summer going into my Junior Year of high school, and assist with taking care of the dogs during adoption events and help families find a dog that suits them. Helping animals find a caring family to take care of them after going through so much pain in their life has always been a major ambition of mine. As many know, my love for animals is never-ending and I am always willing to give a helping hand for programs like SAAP.