Educators Assemble!

In honor of International Zoo Educator Day, we wanted to introduce you to the ZOOperheros on our Education team! This strong group of women work hard every day to deliver inspiring conservation messaging to kids of all ages and to help provide top of the line care and training plans to our amazing animal ambassadors. Each educator brings something different to the table, and that is one of the reasons our team is so powerful. The best teams recognize each other’s strengths and help their teammates work on their weaknesses. Read on to find out what inspires them and to learn more about what makes each of them unique!

Meet Cher:

• Job title: Director of Conservation Education
• My favorite education program to run is: Sloth encounters and Bird Friendly Coffee samplings
• Best piece of advice I’ve ever been given: Be open to opportunities that open up to you, even if they aren’t what you envision yourself doing. The pathway to where I am now was very different than what I would have imagined for myself. I’m also in a position that I would not have chosen for myself when I was younger. I got here by taking advantage of opportunities that presented themselves, and I’m grateful for the advice I received to jump on them.
• Someone I admire is: Mostly my close childhood friends. They are all doing amazing things, and I admire them for following their dreams and for the strong women they have become.
• If I were a superhero, my superpower would be: Teleporting, so I can travel wherever I want whenever I want
• When I was little, my dream job for when I grew up was: Marine Mammal Trainer, and I was lucky enough to live out this dream for a few years.
• My favorite animal species is: I have too many, and it changes frequently. Currently my top ones are Whales/Dolphins, Sea lions, Red Pandas, Raccoons, and Sloths
• My go-to karaoke song is: Anything 90’s pop
• My favorite movie or tv series is: Friends, I watch the whole series at least once a year.
• Most people don’t know this about me: I wrote a children’s book about Penguins.
• Something my team says about me is: I am a very compassionate and supportive leader who really brings out the best in my team giving them wings to fly and roots to come back to.

Meet Natalie:

• Job title: Lead Education Specialist/Trainer
• My favorite education program to run is: Animal Encounters. I love the up-close, personal relationships people get to build with our ambassador animals while also learning about their important messaging and why they are ambassadors for their species.
• Best piece of advice I’ve ever been given: Be persistent and never give up. You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines.
• Someone I admire is: My dad, I get my stubbornness, never quit mentality, and willpower from him. He is one of the strongest people I know with the biggest heart.
• If I were a superhero, my superpower would be: Speed, there is just not enough time in the day to get everything I want to get done finished, especially with two little kiddos.
• When I was little, my dream job for when I grew up was: A dolphin trainer, I loved dolphins and everything about them; they were all over my room. But then I worked with sea turtles and manatees, and my love for sea turtles took over, literally.
• My favorite animal species is: Hawksbill Sea Turtle
• My go-to karaoke song is: Anything 2000’s fan girl anthems. Destiny’s Child, Christina Aguilera, Spice Girls, etc.
• My favorite movie or tv series is: The Office and Bad Moms. I love all things comedy.
• Most people don’t know this about me: I don’t like milk in my cereal….ever. I know this makes me very odd to most people, but to me I think I’m pretty normal.
• Something my team says about me is: I look out for my team (I may even “mom” them from time to time) and truly have their best interests at heart.

Meet Dani:

• Job title: Interpretation Coordinator
• My favorite education program to run is: Fox Encounters
• Best piece of advice I’ve ever been given: Do what makes you happy.
• Someone I admire is: My Mom
• If I were a superhero, my superpower would be: Healing
• When I was little, my dream job for when I grew up was: Teacher
• My favorite animal species is: Opossums
• My go-to karaoke song is: Wanna Be – Spice Girls
• My favorite movie or tv series is: Schitts Creek
• Most people don’t know this about me: I’ve been stuck in quick sand.
• Something my team says about me is: I have the courage of my convictions and like to approach problems head on.

Meet Emily:

• Job title: Education Specialist
• My favorite education program to run is: Animal encounters and Animal kingdoms
• Best piece of advice I’ve ever been given: Meet yourself where you are at. It’s okay to not always be 100%, but always be sure to meet yourself where you are and show yourself compassion in your rougher moments.
• Someone I admire is: I admire both of my parents. They are both amazing individuals, and I have them to thank for making me the person I am today.
• If I were a superhero, my superpower would be: Talking to animals so that I can say hi to all the animals I work with everyday!
• When I was little, my dream job for when I grew up was: A Vet
• My favorite animal species is: I love all kinds of bats!
• My go-to karaoke song is: Big Country
• My favorite movie or tv series is: The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Most people don’t know this about me: I love holographic clothing even though I am extremely shy.
• Something my team says about me is: One of my strengths is that I approach the world differently; it gives me a unique perspective and allows me to offer creative insight that most people don’t find on their own.

Meet Tara:

• Job title: Education Specialist
• My favorite education program to run is: Animal Encounters
• Best piece of advice I’ve ever been given: Everyone takes different paths in life, and just because someone else’s path is different than yours doesn’t mean yours is wrong.
• Someone I admire is: Jane Goodall, the way she has dedicated her life to conservation and to making the world a better place is incredibly inspiring!
• If I were a superhero, my superpower would be: Flying! I would love to be able to travel to many places around the world.
• When I was little, my dream job for when I grew up was: Dolphin Trainer
• My favorite animal species is: either Narwhals or Otters
• My go-to karaoke song is: Don’t Stop Believing
• My favorite movie or tv series is: Lord of the Rings
• Most people don’t know this about me: I really like writing poetry and have actually written almost 100 poems.
• Something my team says about me is: I like to laugh and really enjoy making other people laugh (sometimes bad jokes just really hit the spot, you know?).

Meet Cassidy:

• Job title: Education Specialist
• My favorite education program to run is: Animal Kingdoms
• Best piece of advice I’ve ever been given: The best piece of advice I have ever been given and will often pass onto others is to remember your “why.” Whether it be school, sports, or a job, there will be instances in which they can become difficult, discouraging, and you may want to quit and stop trying. However, in these moments it is important to think about why you started doing any of these activities and what brought you to that point. I’ve been in such a position where I wanted to quit a sport I had been doing for over ten years at the time, but taking time to consider why I started and what my passion is, I found my way back and kept competing for several more years.
• Someone I admire is: Someone I admire is my best friend. Shortly after high school graduation she moved to Texas where she often travels to Mexico to do relief work, teaches English as a second language, and helps provide opportunities in terms of education. She is a wonderful, selfless, sassy person all around who would do anything for the people around her.
• If I were a superhero, my superpower would be: Mind reading
• When I was little, my dream job for when I grew up was: I’m very indecisive, and still am, so I had many careers I wanted to pursue as a kid. I wanted to be a teacher, a medical geneticist, or a Veterinarian. It was not until my internship at the Lehigh Valley Zoo in 2019 that I realized I wanted to work in a zoo!
• My favorite animal species is: African Penguin
• My go-to karaoke song is:I probably sound like a dying cat when I sing, but my “jam out in the car songs” are “September” and “Shut Up and Dance.”
• My favorite movie or tv series is: Tangled and any of the Harry Potter Movies. Whenever I am sick, I will certainly watch at least one of these. I’ve even dressed up as both Rapunzel and Hermione for Halloween before!
• Most people don’t know this about me:I love matching my crocs to my outfit and/or the weather. Cold out? Fleece lined crocs it is! Need something a little on the ‘fancy’ side? Plain black! I have other pairs and will wear them to work nearly every day until I put on my zoo shoes.
• Something my team says about me is: I embody all the best qualities of each of the Hogwarts houses rolled into one: bravery, intelligence, empathy, and ambition.

A team, by definition is a group of individuals working together to achieve a common goal, and as Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Every day we see how this team uses their drive and passion to do great things for the animals we work with, their wild counterparts, and for the planet we share with

 them. It is exciting to watch each person grow and to see how everyone both supports and challenges each other. It wouldn’t be possible to do everything we do without having a team that is made up of individuals who compliment each other so well with our different backgrounds, skills, interests, and abilities. While sometimes superheroes may work alone, it’s the best ones that find out how to work together.

Written by Tara Mlodzienski
Education Specialist
Lehigh Valley Zoo | Schnecksville, PA

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