I am a passionate individual dedicated to ensuring wildlife and wild places are here for years to come in an equitable and sustainable way. An animal lover all my life, it made sense that I would pursue a career focused on the wellbeing and conservation of wildlife. Once I obtained my B.S. in Animal Science, I moved to Birmingham, Alabama to work at the Birmingham Zoo with African mammals. During my time as a zookeeper, I focused much of my energy on educating the public by communicating information to generate understanding and create compassionate attitudes for endangered wildlife and conservation priorities. My natural ability to make connections with people led me to use my time to engage the public and coordinate partner priorities as the Operations Manager for the Global Conservation Corps where I worked both individually and as a team to increase support conservation education and boots-on-the-ground efforts. Additionally, I also acted as the Bowling For Rhinos Communication Liaison with the American Association of Zookeepers where I coordinated communication and connections with field conservationists and zoo professionals. Recently I returned home to Columbus, Ohio to focus on completing my Master’s degree in Conservation Biology through Miami University of Ohio’s Project Dragonfly studying attitudes and participation in conservation while also coordinating collaborative conservation initiatives with university professors, zookeepers, and community members.