Zoo InternQuest is a seven-week career exploration program for San Diego County high school juniors and seniors. Students have the unique opportunity to meet professionals working for the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and Institute for Conservation Research, learn about their jobs, and then blog about their experience online. Follow their adventures here on the Zoo’s website!
My passion for animals developed at an early age. Both my mom and dad are avid animal lovers, which they obviously passed to me. Ever since I can remember, my house has been teeming with critters- cats, dogs, rabbits, horses, a goat, and chickens. One of my earliest memories is being plopped atop my mom’s horse in our backyard and cruising around on him until my legs went numb. However, my passion for animals does not end with household pets. My family routinely visited the Safari Park and the San Diego Zoo. I remember being in awe watching the galloping antelope, my joy in feeding the lorikeets, and my curiosity and puzzlement as to why flamingos are pink. My obsession with the Safari Park and Zoo was so intense that my grandmother bought me a membership to the esteemed Koala Club. When I was old enough, I enrolled in a summer camp at the Safari Park for teens interested in zoology and conservation. Through this experience, I had the opportunity to shadow a zoo keeper and tour the Zoo’s veterinary clinic. I have always wanted to be a veterinarian, but the summer camp offered me a glimpse into the lives of zoologists and conservation experts and opened my eyes to a few different career paths.
As my last day of senior year approaches, I am taking advantage of every opportunity to learn more about both domestic and exotic animals. I work at a local barn and take lessons from to further my knowledge of equine care. Additionally, I volunteer at a local therapeutic barn to learn about horse’s therapeutic qualities. With Zoo InternQuest, I look forward to learn more about exotic animals and all that goes into caring for them and sustaining different species in the wild. When I’m not loving on my pets, I like to go on long bike rides, hike, and dream about traveling the world.
I am grateful that I know what I want to pursue as a career. However, I still have not decided what field I will enter in veterinary medicine. I hope to gain more insight into what I want to pursue from my seven weeks with Zoo InternQuest, and I hope that you will follow along as I discover what it’s all about!
Jillian
Winter Session, 2017
