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! Hey friends! My name is Samantha, but you can call me Sam. I am currently a high school senior and I am very excited and enthusiastic to begin an amazing adventure with InternQuest and the San Diego Zoo. Ever since I can remember, animals have been a huge part of my day to day life. Growing up in a large family of six everyone was responsible for their own animals, so I have had just about every animal imaginable. You name it, I have probably had it. Right now I have two dogs, Kai, a white Labrador retriever, and Bo, a German shepard/lab mix. There is an unexplained bond between humans and animals that is one of the most unforgettable feelings on the planet. My friendship with animals during my childhood has given me a huge respect and understanding of their nature. In turn it has propelled my aspiration of finding a career that will, in a way, payback the lifetime debt I owe to wildlife and domesticated animals. Before the Zoo InternQuest I did everything I could to get myself prepared for a career in animal sciences by taking school courses like chemistry and AP biology, and continuing education classes on canine reproduction, wildlife, exotic life, marine life, and zoology. I have also volunteered at the Humane Society and interned at veterinary hospitals. However, the most important thing I have taken away from my experiences is the concept of One Health which includes organism's interactions and the dependency of all types of life on each other. I really took this concept to heart and made a bold move to integrate it in our school by developing a club called H.E.A.R.T. (Humans, Environment, and Animals Reaching Together). Our mission focuses on community outreach on issues that are important to all of us, which includes our heterotrophic and autotrophic friends. My hope is to spark discussion on pressing matters to not only inspire innovative thinking, but to also show that veterinarian medicine, human medicine, and environmental conservation should be seen as a collective coalition. Although it seems like I am all work and no play, I enjoy many other hobbies. I have developed an interest in digital photography and have learned a lot of technical skills in the last year to become a better photographer. I also enjoy playing tennis competitively at my school, and with my dad and sisters. Music is also a big part of my life as I have studied piano for 14 years and violin for 2 years. During my experience Zoo InternQuest, I hope to explore all the possibilities available to a dreamer with drive like me and I can’t wait for you to begin my adventure with me. See you soon, Sam Winter Session 2016