Being a part of the study abroad program was a life changing experience. There have been so many aspects of this trip that have pushed me out of my comfort zone and I am coming away with a strong sense of accomplishment for facing my fears and pushing forward to experience new things. Spending the night in different places, with people I don’t know, and many insects that I’m afraid of are just a few things that I have overcome. Walking through the thick grass out in the bush doing snare sweeps was extremely out of my comfort zone because of my fear of spiders and snakes, but I found myself enjoying the activity immensely because I was doing something important that could save the lives of the animals that the park were trying to protect. I am learning so much about not only the local people, but about myself too and what I am capable of doing. I am coming home from this trip feeling like a new person with a greater respect for the differences between cultures and people. Each day the activities we get to experience are getting better and better, and the amount of knowledge that I will be bringing home will be applied to all aspects of my life.
– Jennifer , SPC Zimbabwe Vet Tech Program, June 2022

The trip to Zimbabwe was everything I could of ever imagined plus more. I have always wanted to go to the continent of Africa since I was a little girl, so seeing first hand the wildlife here was incredible. While in Africa after visiting Antelope park it was clear to me how important the conservation of all these different species is and how important a role each of them play in the ecosystem. Prior to going to Zimbabwe I always thought lions were adorable animals, but after being here and working with the lions it became clear to me that these are predatory animals who would not hesitate to kill me, which is what lions are meant to do. During one of the lectures one of our guides told us the lion population had been steadily decreasing since the 1980s due to various reasons. Antelope park has been conducting a project to try and save the lion population. The individuals there I felt cared so much about the park and truly loved what they were doing with the animals which is all you could ever want in life.

The elephant experience was out of this world as well because being able to see the elephants up close and feed/touch them was truly amazing. It was really interesting to me that one of the elephant trainers had been with the elephants for over 20 years. The oldest elephant was 35 years old so the one individual had been with them for a majority of their lives which is a special bond like nothing else. To have a relationship like that with a wild animal is incredible. After both these experiences it really opened my eyes to what else is out there and made me possibly want to do veterinary medicine for wildlife. I am very excited to see what wildlife the rest the journey brings and what else they are doing throughout Zimbabwe to help with conservational efforts.
– Christine, SPC Zimbabwe Vet Tech Program, June 2022