Hannah Sears, a wildlife biology major from Powell, Wyoming, had the privilege of visiting Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary (YWS) every summer as a child. She was fascinated by the sanctuary in Red Lodge, Montana, where she worked over the summer as an education assistant.
During April of her sophomore year at Hastings College, Sears came across an application for the sanctuary. She applied right away and was accepted soon after, and completed her second summer in the position.
“It can be really hard to get experience in the wildlife field while in college,” Sears said. “I feel like I got lucky.”
Sears has been helping education managers with hosting summer camps, including those sponsored by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the YMCA.
Since Sears began at the sanctuary before many schoolchildren were out for the summer, she also assisted with numerous school-sponsored field trips. She has stepped into a leadership role, making sure children stay together while teaching about the wildlife she loves.
Sears has also enjoyed leading private tours, which allow her to apply her knowledge of environmental studies. She’s been grateful for the opportunity to take such a huge stepping stone on the road to her degree.
“So many people expect wildlife biology to lead to vet school or becoming a game warden, but conservation education is another path,” Sears said.
Sears has continuously advocated for wildlife and ethical conservation methods, speaking out with deep knowledge of the ecosystem that she has learned in her wildlife biology courses so far. She has also taken communication classes at Hastings College to boost her confidence in speaking out.
Sears said she envisions two paths for her future — returning to YWS or moving on to become a zookeeper. Both choices would keep her active in community engagement and allow her to double down on the importance of wildlife conservation.
“I don’t know if I would have been comfortable in this position otherwise,” Sears said. “But taking classes outside of my major forced me to learn communication skills and opened a great door for me.”