General Reflections
As a pre-veterinary student with nearly 2,000 hours of pre-veterinary shadowing experience, I have a decent amount of experience with dogs, cats, horses, and other common domestic and farm animals. I can clean cages, stalls, and litter boxes with the best of them. I've assisted with surgeries, performed wellness exams and lab tests, bandaged wounds, and drawn blood. These animals have never scared me. The only problem: put me in front of an exotic animal, and I freeze. I told myself, "this has to change". My search was, thus, narrowed down to volunteer experiences with exotic animals (lions, cheetahs, baboons, zebras, elephants, leopards, etc). Needless to say, that eliminated a large portion of the world.
Finally, although I sought volunteer work with exotics, I also knew I wanted to be integrated into a completely foreign society. I wanted to be working alongside the citizens of the land, whether or not I had to overcome a language or cultural barrier. After a semester abroad in Ireland, I hungered for more immersion and a more global perspective. Again, the options decreased.
One day in Barnes and Noble, I stumbled upon a book "500 Places Where You Can Make a Difference" - if you haven't read it, pick up a copy. It will be well worth it. I narrowed down the options to sites in Africa and India until I finally settled on the Enkosini Eco Experience, a non-profit based in South Africa. Though the tuition was expensive, this site advertised the direct hands-on experience with African wildlife which I craved. Furthermore, I would be striving for wildlife conservation alongside Namibian locals and Bushmen. I applied.
Needless to say, I was thrilled when I received an e-mail saying: "Greetings from sunny South Africa! We welcome you to Enkosini Eco Experience and look forward to having you join our amazing wildlife and marine conservation projects."
Now, with a month of working with exotics under my belt, I know more about baboon habitats, caracal food, hyena behaviors, and most importantly, myself. I recognize that I have the inner strength to hug a cheetah, the ability to live with a group of volunteers from nearly every corner of the world, and a solidified passion to pursue veterinary medicine. Traveling to a new continent alone is not scary; it's thrilling, and the hardest part is always coming back.
When I return to Vanderbilt in the fall, I'll continue to fulfill my Engineering Science and Molecular Biology majors. I'll approach my zoology course with a unique perspective and real world experience. Most importantly, my time in Namibia was the final push I needed to persuade me to apply to veterinary school. Although I still want to work with large animals, I can't promise that I'll be able to stay away from exotics for long. I may be back to Africa soon enough...
Finally, although I sought volunteer work with exotics, I also knew I wanted to be integrated into a completely foreign society. I wanted to be working alongside the citizens of the land, whether or not I had to overcome a language or cultural barrier. After a semester abroad in Ireland, I hungered for more immersion and a more global perspective. Again, the options decreased.
One day in Barnes and Noble, I stumbled upon a book "500 Places Where You Can Make a Difference" - if you haven't read it, pick up a copy. It will be well worth it. I narrowed down the options to sites in Africa and India until I finally settled on the Enkosini Eco Experience, a non-profit based in South Africa. Though the tuition was expensive, this site advertised the direct hands-on experience with African wildlife which I craved. Furthermore, I would be striving for wildlife conservation alongside Namibian locals and Bushmen. I applied.
Needless to say, I was thrilled when I received an e-mail saying: "Greetings from sunny South Africa! We welcome you to Enkosini Eco Experience and look forward to having you join our amazing wildlife and marine conservation projects."
Now, with a month of working with exotics under my belt, I know more about baboon habitats, caracal food, hyena behaviors, and most importantly, myself. I recognize that I have the inner strength to hug a cheetah, the ability to live with a group of volunteers from nearly every corner of the world, and a solidified passion to pursue veterinary medicine. Traveling to a new continent alone is not scary; it's thrilling, and the hardest part is always coming back.
When I return to Vanderbilt in the fall, I'll continue to fulfill my Engineering Science and Molecular Biology majors. I'll approach my zoology course with a unique perspective and real world experience. Most importantly, my time in Namibia was the final push I needed to persuade me to apply to veterinary school. Although I still want to work with large animals, I can't promise that I'll be able to stay away from exotics for long. I may be back to Africa soon enough...
