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! Hi, my name is Kelsey, and I’m in my senior year of high school. Growing up around horses, as well as frequent trips to the San Diego Zoo as a young kid, fostered my love of animals and nature. To share this love, I started my own charity, Horses for Happiness, which offers free horse camps to at-risk youth. Seeing kids who had never been around horses fall in love with them by the end of the camp is always an amazing transformation to witness. Needless to say, I’m an avid equestrian. Horses have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I’ve only grown to love them more throughout the years. I currently have an eight year old haflinger mare named Akira, and together we compete in eventing- the equestrian version of a triathlon. If I’m not at school, I’m usually at the barn, either practicing for a show, doing a variety of barn chores, or exploring the miles of riding trails. Animal care and well-being has always interested me. Caring for bunnies, guinea pigs, birds, and horses, either as my own animals or as part of my summer pet care business, has only deepened this interest. The variety of needs that different animals have and the best ways to meet these needs are things I find fascinating. I would like to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, and hope to specialize in exotic animals. I’m excited to participate in the InternQuest program, and hope to learn as much as I can while I’m here while sharing my love of animals through my blogs! Kelsey Fall Session 2018