Texas State Aquarium Program Gives In-Depth Look at Animal Care Careers
June 17, 2019
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The animal caretakers, conservationists and scientists of tomorrow will have a chance to learn directly from the experts at the Texas State Aquarium with a new upcoming career exploration program. Whether they’re diving headfirst into a career with animals or just testing the waters, the Animal Science Exploration Program will allow high schoolers and college students a chance to get their feet wet with real-life experiences, meeting staff who work with the Aquarium’s fish and reptiles and even participating in their care.
An after-hours program for high schoolers will kick off on June 27 from 5 – 7 p.m., followed by a college-oriented program on July 25 from 5 – 7 p.m. During both events, students will view an exclusive video showing the career opportunities at the Aquarium, then venture out of the classroom and behind the scenes. Led by the Aquarium’s Curator of Fish & Herpetology, Hazel Manjarris, they’ll watch a Caribbean shark feeding, participate in a sea turtle enrichment session and discover the Aquarium’s coral nursery, aquatic systems and more.
Manjarris says this kind of hands-on career exploration experience can make all the difference in the career they choose. “Like many of the Aquarium staff, I was inspired to pursue work in animal science by getting to speak with and work alongside some truly dedicated and talented animal scientists, and what started there has turned into my dream career today,” she says. “We hope that by giving students an up-close and personalized look at behind-the-scenes animal care that they too will be inspired to make an impact within the animal science realm, and thus inspire others to embark on the lifelong journey to cultivate the skillset needed to make a difference in the field.”
In order to keep the Animal Science Exploration Program a personalized experience where everyone has the chance to interact with staff and ask questions, the program will be limited to 25 people. Those interested are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible at www.texasstateaquarium.org/asep.
For more information or to register, interested parties can also contact Annie Vlach at [email protected].