By Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart
Never underestimate the impact of a homework assignment. For Liberal Arts and Sciences: Science: A.S. graduate Jennifer Rudy, a simple project for her Freshman Planning Seminar led her to a life of adventure, more specifically, an animal adventure. As Rudy prepares to transfer to SUNY Oswego to continue her studies in zoology and statistics, she remains thankful for the academic foundation that she received from SUNY Broome and for the assignment that started it all.
Rudy’s story begins in Broome County. After completing her K-8 education in the Chenango Forks Central District, Rudy opted to complete high school via the district’s Time4Learning homeschool curriculum. The flexible, self-paced format allowed her to tackle her schoolwork efficiently and devote the rest of her time to traveling, exploring nature, and pursuing her Silver Award as a Girl Scout Cadette. When the COVID-19 pandemic halted in-person education worldwide, Rudy was spared the struggle of transitioning to remote learning that plagued most of her generation.
“Some discouraged my decision to homeschool through Time4Learning for high school,” Rudy reflected. “I feel that it really prepared me, not only for the years of the pandemic, but also for my classes at SUNY Broome. I always tried to take at least one online class per semester, and I never struggled with the teaching and learning formats of online courses because of my preparation as a remote student in high school.”
The plan was always for Jennifer to attend SUNY Broome. She admittedly wasn’t ready to venture out of the region and felt that earning an associate degree at her local community college was the best way to ease back into the traditional classroom environment. A lover of computers and design, Rudy first enrolled as a Computer Science: A.S student. While she enjoyed her classes and appreciated the financial stability that accompanied a computer science degree, Rudy wasn’t feeling fulfilled.
“I have always loved animals and had a mini-menagerie of turtles, birds, bunnies, dogs, and cats as a little girl,” Rudy shared. “I loved the idea of working with animals, but I worried that the field was too small and that it wouldn’t be a realistic career path. My family was very supportive of me exploring my options. So, I decided to transfer from my safe and stable computer science program and into the riskier but more personally rewarding path towards working with animals.”
Contrary to the common misconception that zoologists simply spend their days playing with animals, they are, first and foremost, scientists. Understanding her need for a solid foundation in the natural sciences, Rudy transferred to the Liberal Arts and Sciences: Science: A.S. program, trading in her coding classes for chemistry labs. It was during her first semester as a liberal arts and sciences student that Rudy was given a transformative assignment from biology professor, Bill Hollister, Ph.D. – “Interview someone working in your future professional field.”
Much to Rudy’s delight, the Southern Tier is blessed with not one, but two zoos. Jennifer contacted Animal Adventure Park, an interactive educational animal park and preserve in Harpursville, NY, as it was the zoo she frequented most as a child. There, she met with Erin Sarandis, the curator of both the park and the preserve. During their time discussing Sarandis’ personal academic and career journey, she stressed the importance of internships within the field. At the conclusion of the interview, Sarandis offered Rudy a position as a summer intern!
Rudy spent the summer of 2022 shadowing the zookeepers and assisting with caring for the park’s 300+ animals. Her daily tasks included diet preparation, enclosure maintenance, cleaning the animals, and monitoring their medical needs. Jennifer also helped prepare for the opening of Animal Adventure’s Preserve, a three-mile, drive-thru immersive experience featuring 100+ animals.
Jennifer returned to SUNY Broome that fall, armed with the confidence that a career in zoology was far more feasible than she initially anticipated. She spent the following three semesters tackling her science prerequisites in preparation for transferring to SUNY Oswego’s highly respected zoology program. Her December graduation date left Rudy with an open semester and summer before heading to Oswego. Looking for an opportunity to earn some tuition money, Jennifer reached back out to Sarandis to see if Animal Adventure needed seasonal support.
Sarandis happily welcomed Jennifer back into the fold, but this time, as a full-time zookeeper!
Since then, life for Rudy has been spent amongst the animals. Primarily focused on the petting zoo portion of the park, Jennifer is responsible for the care of the alpacas, cows, goats, llamas, sheep, and even a camel named “Nile,” whom she hand-raised from infancy. The bond that comes from bottle-feeding an animal is unquestionable, evidenced by the herd that regularly follows Rudy as she makes her way through each habitat.
When she’s not monitoring core needs such as diet and cleanliness, Rudy provides the animals with enrichment activities. Similar to methods used in early childhood education, animals are offered a series of enrichments to expand their senses and cognitive behavior. Through Jennifer’s introductions of new foods, toys, and activities, the animals live healthier and happier lives.
“I thrive in a changing environment with structure. Interestingly, that’s exactly what a zoo is,” Rudy explained. “My location in the zoo can change throughout the day, but the structure of caring for and documenting the needs of the animals is very regulated. It’s the perfect balance for me.”
Once shy and reserved, Rudy now counts down the minutes until her “Keeper Talks.” These presentations are her opportunity to educate the community about the animals that have enriched her life.
The beauty of this story is that it’s just beginning. Rudy’s career in the care and conservation of animals is in its infancy, a reality that might be daunting to some, but exciting for Jennifer.
“Don’t be afraid to contact professionals in the field you hope to enter. If I hadn’t, I might still think that a career with animals in this region is unrealistic. Thankfully, that is not the case!”
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Tags: Alumni, Liberal Arts and Sciences AS, Profile, STEM Division