Scuba Diving the Great Barrier Reef!
Author: Mary Claire Stewart | Major: Animal Science | Semester: Summer 2022
Hi! My name is Mary Claire Stewart, I am in the Dale Bumpers college of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences. I interned abroad with API and spent the summer of 2022 based in Sydney, Australia.
During my internship, I worked at the Animal Welfare League of New South Wales and primarily worked as a volunteer animal handler but also spent a week helping out at the veterinary clinic on site. Animal Welfare League New South Wales is a shelter located in a western suburb of Sydney that works to rehome animals that have been surrendered to them. These animals come from all walks of life, and every shape and size that you can imagine. Most of my time spent during the program including walking dogs or playing with cats, as well as cleaning their facilities and making sure everyone is fed. I also was overjoyed to spent time at the West Hoxton site, a short 10 minute drive from the Kemps Creek main location. This site is the home of any livestock currently under the care of Animal Welfare League. This group consisted of two miniature ponies, two quarter horses, a thoroughbred, and funnily enough – a ram that the staff creatively named “Rammy” and who is adored by everyone.
By the end of the program, I definitely had a soft spot for the exotics section of the shelter, that Animal Welfare League lovingly calls “pocket pets.” These animals included any rabbits, guinea pigs, or birds that may be living at the shelter. Not only did I bond with many animals during my time in Australia, I also came to adore everyone that I came in contact with both within my internship and also within the group of students there with me in my program. I have made friendships I will never forget, and hope that I get to see them again some time soon. During my time in Australia, I learned so much about animal welfare and animal behavior, as well as so much more about myself as a leader.
While participating in this program, I was tasked with the responsibility of caring for an entire section of the shelter on more than one occasion. I was overjoyed that the shelter held this much confidence in my abilities as a caretaker, and used these opportunities to grow my skills as both a leader and communicator. I would also like to thank API alone because all of the interns were placed into a wonderful accommodation right in the middle of the city, this is something that absolutely added to the experience – despite the lengthy commute to my internship that was quite a ways outside of the city. I am currently wrapping up my veterinary school applications, and hope to begin attending veterinary school starting next fall. I know that I will take this experience with me as I continue to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, and I desperately hope that I find myself back in Australia one day. For this year, I am finishing my Animal Science degree along with a minor in Biology at the University of Arkansas and plan to graduate this May. I am so thankful for this opportunity and can not wait to see where these new experiences will take me next.