Hello! My name is James, and I am finishing up high school as a senior this year. I have always loved camping and hiking outdoors with my family. I am the third of seven children, so whenever we go camping, we form our own little caravan. My father is in the Navy, and as a result our family has had many wonderful camping experiences. We have had peaceful nights under the redwoods of Northern California, mosquito filled nights next to waterfalls in the jungles of Guam, freezing nights in shelters we built in the bayous of Mississippi, and cozy nights around the campfire in the Appalachian Mountains. Given that I appreciate the beauty of the natural world, I want to be learn more about conservation. Learning about animals, and caring for them has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember; the first job I can remember wanting to have was being a pet store owner. One of my favorite Christmas presents was a dissection kit. I was thrilled with the opportunity to explore biological pathways and to look at the organs. I have also enjoyed taking care of living animals. Between raising butterflies and praying mantises, walking the family dog, from rescuing birds, turtles and baby squirrels, and caring for rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, fish and snails, our house has always been filled with a menagerie of pets. My current project is trying to breed beta fish. In addition to outdoor adventures and caring for animals, I also enjoy drawing and painting in both watercolor and acrylic. Some of my other ventures into art include teaching myself knitting, woodcarving, and floral arranging, a skill I have used to start my own floral business. To keep busy, I am involved with a number of extracurriculars such as Mock Team, playing on the Cross Country and Rugby teams, answering trivia questions with Academic League and writing for the school newspaper. In the future I would like to pursue a career either as a veterinarian or as a doctor. I hope to find some guidance as what path to take through the Zoo Internship. I’m very excited to participate in the San Diego Zoo InternQuest and I hope that you will continue to read the blogs that myself, and other students, will write! James Winter Session, 2018