During April of her sophomore year at Ď㽶ĘÓƵ, 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 Ď㽶ĘÓƵ 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.”

By Caspian Weeden, an English major from Pueblo, Colorado.

Armed with only what he can carry, the senior and his crew are tasked with containing the fire until backup arrives. This summer, Adler — an Evans, Colorado, native and firefighter with the Hastings Rural Volunteer Fire Department — did just that as a seasonal wildland firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service.

With the assistance of Carissa Uhrmacher,  director of Ď㽶ĘÓƵ Career Services, Adler worked through perfecting a federal resume before submitting his application to fill the seasonal position of wildland firefighter with the Black Hills helitack crew in Custer, South Dakota. He waited four months before receiving his official job offer in February.

On the helitack crew, Adler acts as a Type 2 firefighter and helicopter crew member, with the primary role of fire suppression.

“No two days are the same,” Adler said. “Some missions, we drop in with hand tools and chainsaws and work the fire. Other missions, we’re setting up the helicopter’s bucket and calling in water drops over the radio.”

Outside of his direct support on the ground, Adler also serves as an Air Base Radio Operator (ABRO), coordinating helicopter operations from the base. This requires monitoring up to seven radio frequencies while communicating with pilots, Air Attack, ground resources and dispatch centers.

On top of that, Adler has to document operational data in both digital systems and handwritten logs.

Adler’s first experience as an ABRO was on deployment to Utah, where he found himself learning how to operate all of these communication systems by himself.

“I didn’t even know what ABRO stood for,” Adler said. “I’d never traveled alone as a single resource on a fire assignment, either.”

Adler had to learn to think ahead and anticipate what the helicopter, pilot or crew would need next. This applied to everyday tasks as well. If Adler has downtime, it is spent cleaning equipment, organizing gear and asking questions.

Adler expressed interest in aviation and complimented the team dynamic. He now has experience working alongside firefighters and pilots who have been more than happy to teach him and keep him on track during high-pressure situations.

Adler’s first challenge was getting over his fear of heights.

“Looking back, applying for a job where the main responsibility is flying around in a helicopter was probably not my brightest idea,” Adler said with a laugh.

Despite his initial fear, he said flying is now one of his favorite parts of the job.

Adler’s biggest challenge was taking in a lot of different information at once. He entered the position with no aviation background, but brought previous wildland fire experience with him.

He credited Dr. Anna Hiatt, an assistant professor of biology at Ď㽶ĘÓƵ who teaches Fire Ecology, with strengthening his understanding of fire behavior, fuels and weather influences on fire — knowledge he relied on heavily while working active wildfires.

“This job has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life,” Adler said. “I want to continue helping others, no matter where my path takes me.”

Adler’s long-term goal is to become a game warden, but his experience with helitack has broadened his perspective on what that career could look like. He is also interested in opportunities involving aviation, emergency response and conservation.

“I’m grateful to Ď㽶ĘÓƵ for preparing me for opportunities like this and encouraging me to pursue experiences outside the classroom,” Adler said. “The greatest growth happens when you’re willing to embrace challenges.”

By Caspian Weeden, an English major from Pueblo, Colorado.

“The people who saw me, loved me and helped me, and pushed me to be the self that I am today,” she said.

Kammerer, who graduated in May as a teacher with a biology endorsement, said, “My place mattered because I got to be all of the things that I loved,” — noting she could be faithful, follow her love of music, be a friend and a student.

Fuqua, a wildlife biology and philosophy & religion double major from Woodland Park, Colorado, received an acceptance call the day after the interview.

Fuqua has always been an animal lover and volunteered at a zoo throughout middle and high school, where they found plenty of joy and connection with the animals.

“I needed to do something that made me feel good and something that is worthwhile,” Fuqua said.

Fuqua started working at Heartland Pet Connection in late April, making sure the animals were fed, watered and had clean spaces. Since then, they’ve taken on heavier responsibilities, such as disinfecting intake kennels and managing disease control processes.

“A lot of intakes aren’t vaccinated,” Fuqua said. “They’ve been out on the street, so the intake kennel has a special cleaning process, too.”

Fuqua has found a lot of joy at Heartland, especially in adoption counseling. They sit down with animals and potential adopters to help find the perfect match.

“It can be hard, helping adopters find an animal that fits their lifestyle, but the matchmaking is so satisfying to be a part of,” Fuqua said.

Between adoption counseling and shadowing animal behavior tests, Fuqua has learned a lot about how animals interact with each other versus how they interact with people. Fuqua appreciates classes that cover shelter practices, but notes they are quite different from hands-on experience.

Of course, working at a shelter comes with hardships. The shelter can end up with pets who’ve escaped yards due to a lack of fencing or pets who are being surrendered because they’ve grown up and don’t look like puppies or kittens anymore.

“The average person sometimes goes into the adoption process thinking a pet will be the same forever, but they change and grow up too,” Fuqua said.

Fuqua has always been an advocate for animal welfare, speaking up for the safety of pets. They openly educate about the importance of adoption alongside finding an animal that fits into a person’s lifestyle.

“A pet should meet someone’s needs,” Fuqua said, “like being a companion.”

Fuqua said that a lot of their approach to ensuring animals and people are both treated well is thanks to Dr. Dorothy Dean, a professor of religion at Ď㽶ĘÓƵ.

“Sometimes my words are harsher than I intend them to be,” Fuqua admitted. “Dr. Dean has helped me learn how to talk to people respectfully, even when I disagree with their standpoints.”

Fuqua has enjoyed a lot of their religion and philosophy courses as a whole, especially being able to combine that with the scientific approach in wildlife biology.

“I love answers. Religion and philosophy courses don’t have that,” Fuqua said. “It’s a different way to think.”

Fuqua’s classes overlap more than it might seem. Wildlife biology teaches facts, psychology and an understanding of the natural world. Philosophy and religion focus on morality, the heart and the divinity of life.

Putting those majors together has helped Fuqua find joy in their job, especially when helping animals find their forever homes.

“I believe everybody should be mindful when they think about getting a pet,” Fuqua said. “Please research, understand their needs, foster if you’re unsure about adoption and make sure you have the means to take care of these precious creatures.”

By Caspian Weeden, an English major from Pueblo, Colorado.

Wood, who is from Lincoln, Nebraska, and graduated in May, began the project by examining Ď㽶ĘÓƵ’s collection of bat specimens.

His survey, though limited to the specimens on hand, raised a broader question: How does the lack of regulation for bat species affect our understanding of which are endangered?

“It’s difficult to recognize endangerment across bat species when many authorities don’t recognize the same species as endangered,” Wood said, noting that state and federal agencies often use different endangered species lists.

Part of that challenge is there’s no central database. Wood said he had to use four different databases to put his survey together.

He emphasized the importance of shared sources and suggested a global database would fix a lot of the issues with endangerment labels. A more cohesive approach, he said, would help authorities more accurately establish which species are at risk.

Wood also spoke on the lack of procedure for vertebrate taxidermy, and particularly the sale of bats. He explained that the market has historically been saturated and loosely regulated, increasing pressure on vulnerable populations.

Online marketplaces such as eBay or Etsy have contributed to the problem, although both updated their policies in 2025 to ban bat products in an attempt to protect those in danger of extinction.

Without consistent oversight, Wood said, bats can be treated as commodities to be obtained rather than living, natural creatures, further threatening already at-risk species.

One example he focused on in his presentation was the Northern long-eared bat. This bat had been reclassified under the U.S. Endangered Species Act from “unlisted” to “endangered” in 2015, and it has not shown any signs of making it off the list. Though most of the population decline has been caused by a fungal disease, human infrastructure such as highways have led to rapid habitat loss for the species.

Wood said the threat against this and other bat species has consequences, as bats are important for the ecosystem, aiding with pest control, pollination and seed dispersal. Without them, many forest environments would suffer and many other creatures would face increased disease pressure from mosquitoes and other pests.

“There is one Earth and it should be protected,” Wood said.

Academic Showcase, held each spring at Ď㽶ĘÓƵ, provides students the opportunity to share presentations and performances with the campus and broader community.

By Caspian Weeden, an English major from Pueblo, Colorado.

“I find a lot of value and purpose in being part of my community,” said Ruiz, who is from Las Vegas. “I really enjoy having the ability to grow the community and help others here at Hastings.”

Marissa said she believes the college has set her up to succeed as she prepares for her next chapter: veterinarian school.

The study, titled “Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Parkinson’s Disease Patients,” investigates how the global pandemic affected the quality of life and functional abilities of individuals living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in the rural Midwest.

The research team was led by first author Maria Andrea Garcia Elizondo ’25 and included fellow graduate Jermaine Francis Jr. ’25, alongside faculty advisor Dr. Juliana de Almeida Cardoso, associate professor of psychology, and Dr. Lorraine Edwards, M.D., a neurologist with Central Nebraska Neurology.

“Leading this mixed-methods study allowed us to explore the complex intersection of neurodegenerative disorders and the psychosocial disruptions caused by a global health crisis,” said Garcia Elizondo. “It was a rewarding challenge to see the project through from the initial data collection to a peer-reviewed publication. I am incredibly proud that our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the unique challenges faced by the Parkinson’s community in the rural Midwest, and I’m thankful for the mentorship that made this possible.”

The research project was made possible through the Ď㽶ĘÓƵ Excelsior Scholars Program, which provides research grants to students. Garcia Elizondo received the grant in 2022 to complete the research while she and Francis Jr. were students. Garcia Elizondo majored in biochemistry, while Francis Jr. majored in health technology.

Using a mixed-methods approach, the team surveyed 31 participants and conducted 22 in-depth interviews. While the quantitative data showed no significant difference in daily functioning between those who had contracted COVID-19 and those who hadn’t, the qualitative interviews revealed a complex picture of the pandemic’s toll.

The researchers identified five key themes:

• Symptom overlap between COVID-19 and Parkinson’s.
• Health literacy challenges.
• The profound impact of social isolation.
• Varied reactions to the pandemic.
• Diverse perceptions of physical and emotional well-being.

The inclusion of Edwards provided a vital bridge between academic inquiry and clinical reality. Her expertise as a neurologist was instrumental in advising the students and framing the study’s impact on the local Parkinson’s community.

“This project highlights the multifaceted nature of quality of life for those with Parkinson’s,” Cardoso said. “The findings emphasize a critical need for interdisciplinary approaches, peer support and community-based programs. Seeing our students lead a project of this caliber that addresses such complex, real-world needs is a testament to the power of undergraduate research at Ď㽶ĘÓƵ.”

The published study is now available through the Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences via New Prairie Press at .

“I go into the lab and they teach me about pH and particles and how to monitor bacteria. We also do multiple tests to make sure that the product is safe. As a quality intern, I check papers and verify with workers that they are doing their job correctly and address errors that may have been made,” Castellanos said.

Castellanos, a biology major with physics and psychology minors from Grand Island, Nebraska, said the internship taught him more about fields he is interested in and that it has helped him grow as a person.

“What I enjoy most is being able to push myself to be the best person I can be everyday. It’s also nice when my hard work gets recognized by coworkers,” said Castellanos, who is also a Scott Scholar. “Internships are like gateways to careers, so I think it’s important to give your best effort in your work because it allows you to learn and grow as a person.”

He said his work environment was very supportive and helped him when facing with challenges. He also found it rewarding when he received recognition for good work.

“I stress easily because I am a perfectionist. I’ve made some mistakes, but my peers and supervisors advised me that there is some room for error. So, it was hard adjusting to that work environment and learning how to interact with my coworkers,” Castellanos said.

Chemistry professor Dr. Neil Heckman recommended Castellanos for the internship, and Ď㽶ĘÓƵ Career Services staff helped him apply for the position. He credits Ď㽶ĘÓƵ to this opportunity and has embraced the support the community has given him.

“There’s actually people here that do care about you. The professors, the staff and really everybody here are willing to do their job to help students. There is a support system here that has really helped me not only with academics and career opportunities, but personal challenges, too,” Castellanos said.

He said a lot of people applied for the internship, so he didn’t believe he’d get it.

“Yet I did,” he said. “I think it’s because Ď㽶ĘÓƵ taught me how to be professional during my interviews and in the workplace.”

He said many of the tasks he’s been handling incorporate a lot of knowledge from classes he has taken. He also utilized Career Services staff and Dave Rippe, director of the Scott Scholars program, to learn about professionalism in the workplace.

“It was really interesting because in chemistry class, we would learn about certain things that I thought I would never use. Now, in this internship, I am,” Castellanos said.

Castellanos said he enjoyed the time learning about different fields, experiencing new things and meeting different kinds of people — and that he’s found something he enjoys doing.

While Castellanos said he’s already started to look into PhD programs in order to become a physicist, he’s keeping his mind open to other opportunities and will continue to explore his options with the help of Ď㽶ĘÓƵ.

“I found fulfillment in my work that I’ve been doing at this internship and in my classes. I feel as though I can follow my passion in a way that doesn’t drain me,” Castellanos said.

By Rachel Ritzmann a business administration and marketing major from Broomfield, Colorado.

Tidyman, who is from Holdrege, Nebraska, had many duties at the zoo, including feeding, watering and cleaning up after the animals, interacting with elk, white-tailed deer, bison, black-footed ferrets, black bears, river otters and a grizzly bear.

The zoo also holds cougars, and while Tidyman had limited interactions with them because they require more seasoned zookeepers, she did choose to focus on them for an internship capstone project.

“I researched where cougars spend most of their time during the day, and then built a graphic and marked up a photo so the public would know where to look for the cats,” she said, adding that she also summarized the data and wrote a paper with her findings.

“All of the animals I interacted with had unique routines we had to follow,” Tidyman said.

For example, Tidyman said the elk routine began at 7:00 a.m. and was tedious. It’s a large exhibit that had to be raked because of the small pellets elk produce. From there, she’d move to raking and cleaning the elk barn to ensure that they would have a clean and cozy place to sleep at night.

“I learned a lot about the elk throughout my time doing the elk routine,” she said. “For example, when bull elk are in the velvet stage of antlers, their antlers are very sensitive, so the elk avoid touching their antlers to anything during this time.”

Tidyman said she loved watching the animals and learning their habits.

“My favorites to watch were the black bears because they were only a year old and played with a lot of energy,” she said.

Tidyman sought out the internship because the zoo didn’t advertise opportunities. Tidyman applied for the animal care position even though it was an unpaid position, believing instead that she may gain knowledge from the experience.

“The hours were flexible and they worked with my schedule, allowing me to also have a part-time paid job,” Tidyman said.

Tidyman said she learned a lot in her experience and wants to encourage others to apply for similar opportunities.

“It felt great caring for the animals and seeing the animals happy because of what I have accomplished,” Tidyman said.

Though zookeeping was not on Tidyman’s radar as a career, she is already looking ahead to next summer in the hope of working for another zoo.

“This experience taught me that zookeeping is definitely a career I could see myself pursuing one day,” Tidyman said.

“They told me from the jump, you’re going to get in, doesn’t matter. And I think that was very beneficial,” said Baker.

In her time at Ď㽶ĘÓƵ, Baker was active on Student Association, becoming president her senior year. She was also a part of the women’s basketball team, making the sweet sixteen of the NAIA tournament in 2025. Baker said being involved was easy at Ď㽶ĘÓƵ because there were so many opportunities.