Since I was a child I was always fascinated by all the nature that surrounded me. I always wanted to know more about how trees give us oxygen or how they can regenerate their branches. I was also very curious about how some animals are so different from humans to the point that some can have more than one heart or some can live both underwater and on land. I was always very curious about everything that NASA posted on social media about our planet and the planets beyond. Naturally, I was attracted to everything that had to do with science and biology.

 

Over time I began to get involved in my community helping in home gardens and collaborating with my school to try to create a home garden. Later, I belonged to the 4H club, where I was able to learn how to use different planting tools. There while I was working with my friends, I got to experience the joy it gave me when planting trees and educating others about the importance of our flora. Even so, I always had a calling for animals and their well-being. I wanted to help them in a more personal way. So I started by rescuing pigeons that failed their fly-out test. Every time we went to the beach, I always wanted to make a collection of snails and oysters that I found along the way. I was fascinated by the different types of algae along the beach shore.

 

So, by not having any other type of direction other than medicine. Naturally, I began to learn more about what Veterinary Medicine was. So much so that I did my first volunteer job with the closest Veterinarian. Having the first exposure to what customer service is and how can you run a business. Then I kept looking for ways to keep learning more about this field and gain experience. Therefore, I went to my local animal shelter where I assisted in basic care such as grooming and nutrition. Later on, I was a volunteer and then a leader in a Sanctuary for farm animals and horses. Where I had the freedom to have my first experiences with treatment and emergency care and thus helping to rehabilitate these animals.

 

Once I entered the university, I was able to be in a private veterinary clinic, under the supervision of a veterinarian. Helping technicians and assistants with primary care, taking x-rays, organizing medical forms, giving medication, etc. But although I felt happy working in this environment with animals, there was something that I was missing, but at that time I didn't know exactly what it was.

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Sometime later, with the help of a professor, I was able to apply for an internship at the last minute(literally I applied two days before the deadline), to which I was accepted. And so I got on a plane alone for the first time…I can assure you those were the best 10 days that changed my vision and my direction completely. There I could understand what I was missing. There I understood that, yes, I have a passion for animals but that passion was also linked to their ecosystem. Therefore, I was able to understand that I want to be a professional who works with the protection and welfare of animals, but also with their environment. Also, over time I discovered that the ethical aspect of human-animal interactions interests me and makes me very curious to know how different governments and institutions deal with all this.

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That internship was the best thing that could have happened to me, as it opened my eyes to other fields within science, specifically environmental science, in which I had never been instructed before. Even so, after the internship, when I came back to reality, I felt an emptiness because although my eyes were opened I felt super lost since I didn't know exactly where to go. Since the field of environmental sciences is extremely big, but at the same time it has so many specializations and branches that one can choose from. So, I needed to start from scratch again to search for information, try and do networking on social media, and connect with other students or influential people within environmental sciences, especially on the side of Wildlife Biology, Conservation, and the Protection of biodiversity in ecosystems. To see for myself what exactly all these new terms and sides really are. 

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Still, I can openly say that I have not the slightest idea what exactly is the "title" that corresponds to me. But at least I have a little more clarity on what I want to do. I don't know what the final goal is, but at least I know that I couldn't be more clear and determined in my future.

If you identify with any part of my story, I invite you to connect with me. You are not alone in this walk. It's super normal to make drastic changes in what you want to do. Take me for example, I am in my last year of College and right now I have no idea what I want to pursue for graduate school. So, I invite you to connect with me so that together we can discover and grow in this great big world of science.