Growing up in the middle of New York City, animal science is the last career that I imagine myself ending up in. I figure that I would be in something higher pressure and fast-paced. I had relatives who are lawyers, doctors, investment bankers, policemen, firemen, cabbies you name it. If it was high pressure and high stakes, whether the pay was high or low I knew someone involved in it. Animal sciences, needless to say, don't qualify.
Nonetheless, as I grew up, I found myself becoming more and more interested in animals and the natural world. When people think about global warming and changing environmental conditions, they usually think about plants. Animals, however, are every bit as important an issue. They spread diseases, they are part of our food supply, and most importantly they are part of the web of life that sustains the whole planet. Animal science is not a matter of just working as a veterinarian, or helping farmers raise livestock. There are careers in animal science that spread the globe and involves some very interesting environmental work.
I started off my career in something a little bit more practical than that. Originally, I was in animal reproduction science. This is also known as animal husbandry. Basically, it is the field of animal science that deals with livestock. In that career, you get to make decisions about buying and selling animals. Not only can you help make wise decisions about animals for sale, but you can also handle every aspect of feeding, caring for, and ultimately consuming livestock.
It wasn't a bad career, but after a while it wasn't enough. After all, I didn't want to spend my life pushing buttons and filling our charts. If I was going to go into something as earthy of animal science, I figured I should make a difference. That is why I got involved with a nonprofit organization.
Basically, we ran a nonprofit animal wildlife Center. We would use it to teach kids about the local ecosystem, and about broader environmental issues in the world as a whole. I know that I'm not going to change the world myself, but I feel like I am making a small difference in the community through the work I do. Every year, teachers lead volunteer classes from the local school on field trips to our center. Through this work, we help educate the next generation to be stewards of the land. It is nice to be able to feel good about what I do for a living.
3/07/2015
News