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 adventure here on the Zoo’s website! Oh hey there! My name is Gillian (with a soft G like in “giraffe”) and I am a self-proclaimed wildlife enthusiast. As a senior in high school, I am currently working hard to get my diploma in June and continue on to college to pursue my interest in science and the natural world. My love for wildlife spans back as far as I can remember. As a native San Diegan and a lifetime Zoo member, the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park have played a huge role in my life. Between my frequent weekend visits, participation in Zoo day camps and hands-on interactions with animals such as the binturong and kinkajou through the KinderNights program, my passion for wildlife has continually flourished over my lifetime. But it was over the span of a week at a Safari Park sleep-away camp the summer before 6th grade that it truly hit me that I wanted to spend the rest of my life working with and/or helping animals. It was the combination of my extreme fascination with the awe-inspiring tours of the Frozen Zoo and Harter Veterinary Medical Center and the heart-warming, indescribable happiness that spread from my head down to my toes each time I got to interact with a new animal that made me realize that I could not see myself doing anything else with my life. Fast-forward about seven years, and I think I have finally narrowed down my career path to zoo pharmaceuticals. I find that this field perfectly combines my love for animals as well as my passion for chemistry and biology. Although I have never met an animal that I don’t love, I must admit that I am extremely partial to the Galapagos tortoises. Although perhaps not the most glamorous or energetic animal, there is something about those precious gentle giants that fills me with joy. Whether it’s watching them messily eat yams or seeing the appreciation in their eyes when they receive a good neck scratch, I can’t help but let a goofy grin spread across my face each and every time I get to visit them. Aside from visiting all my animal friends at the parks and studying hard in school, I also enjoy exploring San Diego with my friends, playing the bass clarinet in my school band, and partaking in a not-so-occasional crime show binge-watching session. Although I can come off as shy and reserved when I am put in new, unfamiliar situations, I will quickly reveal my true, sociable self and perhaps even crack a few terrible jokes along the way. I am looking forward to sharing my Zoo Internquest experience with each and every one of you over the next seven weeks. Feel free to leave any questions or comments you may have in regard to my weekly blog posts and I will be happy to get back to you as soon as I can. Happy Zoo-going! Gillian Winter Session 2016