Alumni Spotlight: Hannah Slafsky-Alumni Relations and Giving Officer at St. Paul’s School-Coniston: 2000-2021

How old were you when you started Camp?

I was 9 years old when I started at Camp.

How were you introduced to Coniston?

I found out about Camp from my dad, Rolf- he is an alumni from the 70s and 80s.

Did you attend college, and if so, what did you study?

I went to University of Richmond and double majored in International Studies and Spanish.

What is your current job? 

I work at St. Paul’s School as an Alumni Relations and Giving Officer. In this role I work closely with our volunteers, help plan events, and fundraise for the school at the Annual Giving Level.

How has your career journey evolved?
 
When I was first out of college, I worked at Tufts University in graduate admissions. After that, I came back to work at Coniston year round as the Director of Afterschool Programs, which included 5 sites at local elementary schools providing childcare for 200 kids every day. I left that role to take some time to stay home with my oldest son. When I returned to work I started at St. Paul’s as an Annual Giving Specialist, which eventually led to my current position.
 
What moment in your career are you most proud of?
 
Certainly one moment that comes to mind is working with the Afterschool Programs through the start of the pandemic. It was a really challenging time, and reopening sites required working closely with the state and schools, and being creative and willing to recreate our programs so they could run safely. All while I was pregnant and then with a newborn baby at home. I was proud of our staff and kids who were all able to adapt to the circumstances!
 
Did Coniston influence your ability to create this journey?
 
Coniston absolutely influenced my career journey. One thing that I’m always so grateful for is the wide exposure that I had to many different responsibilities in my jobs at camp: as cabin counselor, Middler Division Leader, Girls Camp Director and Afterschool. I was trusted with a lot more responsibility than many of my peers had at other summer jobs. I learned about everything at camp from multi-tasking, to leading a group, to budgeting, to hiring, and even implementing a new software. I’m so appreciative of the faith that camp had in me to learn and grow.
 
Are there any skills or traits you gained at Coniston that you use in your professional life?
 

I learned a lot about working with different groups of people while at camp. Starting as a camper sharing a cabin with new people I had never met to managing my staff at Afterschool. It taught me to see other people’s points of view, treat everyone with respect and celebrate our differences. This is a tremendous help in working with co-workers and alumni in my current role. I’m also frequently reminded of our check-in day trainings as I greet new people 🙂

Are there any specific memories from your time at Coniston that are still impactful to you?
 

Well certainly meeting my husband, Michael, is one- my two sons wouldn’t be here today without Coniston!
This isn’t a specific memory, but one thing that has surprised me is how the impact of Coniston in my life has continued to evolve even after my last summer. My husband and I have always had our Coniston friends from when we were campers and on staff, and for me camp was always a special connection I shared with my family too. But then, after I graduated from college and lived in Boston, Michael and I were connected to a whole other group of camp friends who were living nearby. And coming back to work year round at camp brought me closer to the office staff. Michael is now on the board of the Childhood Cancer Lifeline because of Camp Winning Spirit, which is held at Coniston every Labor Day Weekend. My parents have been helping to bring kids from the New American community here in Concord to camp every summer, and we’ve gotten to know some wonderful kids through that. And now, we’re eagerly awaiting Summer 2029 when we get to be Coniston Parents for the first time! So, never assume you’ve seen the end of the impact of camp in your life; you never know what’s around the corner!

Matt Albee-Owner of a Disc Golf Course and Course Design Business-Coniston: 1996-2007

How old were you when you started Camp?

I was 15.

How were you introduced to Coniston?

My parents.

Did you attend college, and if so, what did you study?

Yes – Marketing major with and economics minor, then an MBA in business.

What is your current job? 

I am an owner of a disc golf course and course design business.

How has your career journey evolved?
 
I built an 18 hole disc golf course at Camp Coniston and fell in love. The rest is history!
 
What moment in your career are you most proud of?
 
We hosted 6 professional disc golfers at our course to compete for $2000! It was the culmination of thousands of hours of work.
 
Did Coniston influence your ability to create this journey?
 
One hundred percent!
 
Are there any skills or traits you gained at Coniston that you use in your professional life?
 

Goal setting
Friend making
Risk taking
Time management

Are there any specific memories from your time at Coniston that are still impactful to you?
 

Too many to put in words. I was part of Camp and Camp will always be a part of me. It is easily the reason I am the man, father, husband, worker, and friend I am today.

Beth Corkum-District Director of Wellness and Equity for SAU67: Bow & Dunbarton schools-Coniston: 1993-2000

How old were you when you started Camp?

I was 9.

How were you introduced to Coniston?

Rolf Gesen told my parents about Coniston at our church in 1991. My brother attended first and then I started attending in 1993.

Did you attend college, and if so, what did you study?

Yes – I went to Fairfield University and earned a BA in psychology, Boston University for a MEd Masters of Education in School Counseling and Southern New Hampshire University for a CAGS Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Educational Leadership.

What is your current job? 

My current role is the District Director of Wellness and Equity for SAU67: Bow & Dunbarton schools. My job involves supporting systems intiatives focused on wellness and equity for our students, staff and our community. I organize professional development opportunities, student leadership trainings and wellness initatives throughout our district. I am responsible for expanding our Social Emotional Learning opportunities for our school district focusing not only on the mental health and wellness of our students but also our educators.

How has your career journey evolved?
 
I believe my career journey evolved when I was a camper. I loved my counselors, I loved seeing the leadership of the lifeguards and program area leads. As soon as I was able I started with programs like babysitting courses, becoming a lifeguard myself, helping out at basketball summer camps, and coaching youth sports. I then was a CIT at coniston and learned a ton of leadership skills. All of these experiences helped me realize that studying psychology in college would give me pathways to support all of my passions, leadership, coaching and working with kids. After college, I worked at a residential youth placement center in Hampston, NH for court involved kids. I loved it! I then got a masters in school counseling and spent 15 years as a high school counselor in NH. This past year I transitioned to a district leadership position where I am able to utilize my passions for coaching, leadership and working with kids and adults of all ages!
 
What moment in your career are you most proud of?
 
I am most proud of being a part of creating my current program. About a year ago, I sent an administrator in my district a list of “dream roles” in a school and they believed me and helped get the position funded with a grant as a one year position, now we are working to find ways to fund this position in our general budget so that it can continue to grow and have an impact of our communities. I am proud of myself for being vulnerable and taking a risk to advocate for something I am passionate about!
 
Did Coniston influence your ability to create this journey?
 
Absolutely! I attribute my “systems” thinking to coniston. When I was a camper I was facinated by the idea of activity schedules! I absolutely loved the moment each year when we got our activity schedules! I started realizing overtime all of the work and effort that takes to organize program areas, leaders, schedules, rotations, etc. I loved the idea of evening programs and creating events with such a creative focus. Evening programs expanded my mindset on creativity and collaboration, I love planning events and creative activities and I think that came from the joy I felt while experiencing evening programs at Coniston!
 
Are there any skills or traits you gained at Coniston that you use in your professional life?
 

So many! People skills! Organization! I am incredibly grateful that there are at least 4 other people that I work with who attended Conistion, we all have things in common that I can attribute to skills we developed at camp. We are all able to make strong connections with others, see the big picture in situations and are creative and emotionally resilient. These skills that we learned as campers transfer seamlessly into our daily lives as educators.

Are there any specific memories from your time at Coniston that are still impactful to you?
 

So many! When I reflect on camp, which I often do, it is a time in my life that is protected in my mind. No one can touch it, no bad in the world can impact those memories and no one can take it away from me. When I am in a stressful situation, or time of life, I close my eyes and think of camp. I take a walking tour of camp in my brain and it calms me down immediately. The memories of soccer games on the A field, dances in the pavilion, sitting on the rock by the climbing tower, jumping off the diving board at G-fro, walking quietly to Vespers, and time on my bunk in my cabin are the small moments that literally give me goosebumps when I think about them as an adult.

After my CIT year in 2000, I took a step away from camp life for a while. I didnt go back in 2001 on staff so for many years I felt as though I wasnt “in camp” any more and that “other people” who were on staff were the ones who were able to maintain the connection to camp. I honestly didnt talk to many people from camp for a long time, except my childhood best friend who went to camp as well. Eventually, I had my own children and they were about old enough to start going to camp and I wanted them to have the experiences that I had. I took a risk and reached out to some old camp people and reached out to start attending events with camp people. Immediately the emotions I felt as a child camp flooding back into my life and for that I am forever grateful!

Nick ‘Ziggy’ Zweig-Director, Talent Acquisition (recruiting) for Collegium Pharmaceutical-Coniston: 1993-1999

How old were you when you started Camp?

I was 14.

How were you introduced to Coniston?

I watched a show on Nickelodeon called “Salute Your Shorts” about kids at camp and really wanted to try it. Camp was nothing like the show, but it was a million times better.

Did you attend college, and if so, what did you study?

Yes, UNH. I started in Earth Sciences, shifted to Earth Science Teaching, then Psychology, then Social Work. I ended up with a BS in Family Studies.

What is your current job? 

I am the Director, Talent Acquisition (recruiting) for Collegium Pharmaceutical. I am responsible for developing the recruiting strategy, systems, team, process, etc. I am also responsible for recruiting talent for a wide array of job functions across the company.

How has your career journey evolved?
 
I got my dream job as a Child Protection Social Worker for DCYF in Rockingham County NH. It turned out I was too sensitive for that kind of work and after three years it was killing me, literally. I left to try recruiting even though I didn’t know what that was. I spent 8 years as an agency recruiter, recruiting talent for clients for commission. I then moved into corporate recruiting initially with Fresenius Medical Care North America, followed by Beta Bionics, and now Collegium.
 
What moment in your career are you most proud of?
 
At Beta Bionics I was the first HR hire so I had wide flexibility. I developed and deployed a novel data-based process for determining compensation for offers that completely eliminated the gender gap in pay, racial gap in pay, and ethnic gap in pay. Not only was it super easy, candidates loved it, and it had the unintended consequence of significantly increasing diversity in the company. Everyone said it was impossible. It wasn’t.
 
Did Coniston influence your ability to create this journey?
 
Yes, in part because Coniston taught me to respect everyone regardless of their demographic. But also because Coniston taught me I can do the impossible. My final year as a camper I could not swim. 1-year later after my CIT year, I was a certified lifeguard. I learned there is nothing I cannot accomplish.
 
Are there any skills or traits you gained at Coniston that you use in your professional life?
 

Too many to list. Teaching ropes taught me about communication, trust, and pushing myself beyond my comfort zone. Teaching sailing showed me opportunity comes and goes like the wind, grab the main sheet and seize it. Most importantly, Coniston taught me to be my authentic self always.

Are there any specific memories from your time at Coniston that are still impactful to you?
 

All of them. Campers used to ask me all the time “Ziggy, why do you stop on the causeway?” We weren’t supposed to stop on the causeway. I always knew my time at Coniston was finite, and I made sure to appreciate and live in each moment. I stopped on the causeway to take stock in those moments, even the difficult ones. No matter what is happening in life, don’t forget to stop on the causeway!

Emily Kohlberg-Field Producer at ABC News Studios-Coniston: 2010-2017

How old were you when you started Camp?

I was 13.

How were you introduced to Coniston?

Lots of kids from the town I’m from (Arlington, MA) started going to Coniston around the time I was in middle school, and word spread!

Did you attend college, and if so, what did you study?

I went to Villanova University, and studied Communications with minors in Peace & Justice and Global Health.

What is your current job? 

I’m a Field Producer at ABC News Studios. Studios is the Longform division of ABC News, and my team produces documentaries and news-adjacent series and specials for both Hulu and the ABC network. My job is to go out into the field and produce shoots: I conduct interviews, collect b-roll, manage camera crews, scout locations, handle on-set logistics & more.

How has your career journey evolved?
 
I went into my senior year of college with NO idea what I wanted to do when I graduated. I took a class senior year called Social Justice Documentary Filmmaking, and my class essentially functioned as a production company, traveling to Ethiopia to shoot a doc. We developed, shot, edited and premiered the doc over my senior year, and I pretty quickly realized that nonfiction production was something I could really see myself building a career around. The summer after I graduated, I moved to New York City and was lucky enough to find a job at ABC as an executive assistant in the Longform group. I was able to get assigned to some shows in production pretty quickly, and went from being a production assistant to a production coordinator to an associate producer to what I do now – field producer.
 
What moment in your career are you most proud of?
 
I worked on a pretty groundbreaking (and now Emmy-winning!) show for ABC called Soul of a Nation, looking holistically at the Black experience in America over the course of six themed episodes. I was the series coordinator, which meant that I worked on a sub-team that planned and executed all of the shoots for the series (over 150 shoots in 5 months), and I spent a lot of time traveling & in the field, which definitely laid the groundwork for my current job. Soul was a moonshot venture, and it was challenging (making TV in the height of a pandemic!!!), but also truly rewarding and I was so, so proud to be a member of that team of passionate and crazy strong storytellers. It’s on Hulu if you wanna watch!!
 
Did Coniston influence your ability to create this journey?
 
YES. I’ve joked with both coworkers and camp friends that being a television producer is like being a camp counselor on steroids.
 
Are there any skills or traits you gained at Coniston that you use in your professional life?
 

“Fake it til you make it” is the number one mantra I use when I’m in the field. When I have multiple 16-hour shoot days in a row, I find myself having to dig deep for energy and slap a smile on my face until I trick myself into believing it… just like fourth session. Also, this sounds crazy but I have to use my “counselor voice” on set constantly (let me tell ya it really feels different when you’re in the real world and not corralling middler girls).

Are there any specific memories from your time at Coniston that are still impactful to you?
 

Yes!! I’m still very (very) close with lots of people from Coniston. I think all the time about my summers at camp and I’m so lucky that there’s such a strong NYC contingent. One memory I’ll call out is the last period of the last day of fourth session my last summer as a counselor. A snapping turtle and the thickest most massive leech I have ever seen showed up to gfro within 30 seconds of each other and the campers went nuts. I think about that every single day. It’s a great metaphor for producing tv actually.

Kelly Williamson Polanco-Head of People and Culture for Aktis Oncology-Coniston: 1980s

How old were you when you started Camp?

I was 12!

How were you introduced to Coniston?

Together with my best friend.

Did you attend college, and if so, what did you study?

MS in Organizational Dynamics and MBA in International Business.

What is your current job? 

I am the Head of People and Culture for a small biotech. This role incorporates all aspects of HR. My favorite part of my role is coaching new managers.

How has your career journey evolved?
 
My career has taken many twists and turns. I started out in Operations and then took a step backwards to move into Human Resources. I made sure to experience all aspects of Human Resources including an expatriate assignment in Argentina. The culmination of these opportunities has lead me to my dream job.
 
Are there any skills or traits you gained at Coniston that you use in your professional life?
 

Coniston gave me many opportunities to step up and be a leader among my peers as well as a team player. These are lessons you value for life.

The ability to take feedback and turn it into positive steps forward is a continuous skill that is reinforced at Coniston. It is a nurturing environment to learn new things, fail at times, and then pick yourself up and try again.

Are there any specific memories from your time at Coniston that are still impactful to you?
 

My time as a CIT was invaluable. I still cherish the friendships that continue to today along with leadership lessons.

Nicole Reiss-Brattle Book Shop Manager and Chair of ABAA Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair-Coniston: 1988-2002

How old were you when you started Camp?

I was 9 or 10!

How were you introduced to Coniston?

A family friend told us about it, but their child did not end up going. Luckily I had the opportunity and was at Coniston for 15 years.

Did you attend college, and if so, what did you study?

I went to Boston University and my major was Archaeology with a minor in Spanish.

What is your current job? 

I am the manager of the Brattle Book Shop in Boston, MA. It is one of the oldest and largest antiquarian book shops in America. I’m also the Chair of the ABAA Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.

How has your career journey evolved?
 
I started at the Brattle in ’99- the autumn after graduation and I have been here ever since. The first few summers I took off from selling rare books and was Girls Camp Director.
 
Are there any skills or traits you gained at Coniston that you use in your professional life?
 

Being in leadership roles (’98 CIT Director, ’99 LIT Dir., Girls Camp Dir.) at Coniston helped me hone my management style. It is a lot easier to manage 8-10 book sellers than all of Girls Camp! 

I hire a lot of young folks who are looking for a job right out of school. If I see that they have camp experience on their resume, I usually set up an interview. I know they are flexible, can creatively problem solve, good dealing with all types of people, and can think on their feet.

Are there any specific memories from your time at Coniston that are still impactful to you?
 

I am still great friends with many of my fellow ’92 CITs and also a few other people that I was on staff with. They are “my people.” I’m so fortunate to have found such wonderful life-long friends at Coniston.

Nick Newberry-High School Science Teacher-Coniston: 2004-2022

How old were you when you started Camp?

I was 10 years old!

How were you introduced to Coniston?

Both of my parents went to summer camp and wanted me to have the summer camp experience, too; however, for various reasons attending either of the camps they had gone to as children wasn’t going to work. So, my mom turned to Google and started researching summer camps in New England. After extensive research, she landed on Coniston. When I came here as a camper for the first time I knew no one.

Did you attend college, and if so, what did you study?

Yes! I studied Biology and Environmental Science at the College of William & Mary!

What is your current job? 

I am a high school biology and environmental science teacher.

How has your career journey evolved?
 
Immediately after graduating undergrad, I took a summertime seasonal job in Fairbanks, Alaska working for the Department of Fish & Game studying migratory songbirds. This was only a temporary position so when it ended I returned home to Virginia to figure out my next steps. A call from a professor ended up leading to a full-time job as an environmental consultant at an engineering firm. That job exposed me to many different aspects of applied environmental science from wetland permitting to bat, bird, plant, and reptile surveys.
 
After nearly 3 years at that job, I decided to switch things up in order to work somewhere with a mission that aligned more with my values of working towards a better future for people and the planet. A conversation with a bird-watching mentor from my teenage years led to a job as an intern at the Highland School, an independent private school in Northern Virginia. During my intern year, I taught semester-long elective classes in marine biology and ecology and supported a teacher who was instructing virtually. Now, I am a full-time high school science teacher, teaching AP Environmental Science, Biology, Marine Biology, and Ecology.
 
Did Coniston influence your ability to create this journey?

 

Absolutely. I never had an interest (that I was aware of) in teaching. Truthfully, for a long time, I didn’t think all that highly of the career of teaching because of my perception of teachers as people who “couldn’t make it” in the “real world”, and because of the low pay. Because of that mentality and a focus on biological research while an undergraduate, I never took any classes in education, secondary or otherwise. When I threw myself into teaching I leaned on the only substantial experience I had working with kids, which was being a camp counselor at Coniston. I like to think that I teach like a camp counselor in that I try to do little things to keep life in the classroom light and fresh, and I tend to focus heavily on social-emotional education. The actual nuts and bolts of teaching, such as curriculum and lesson planning, I have been figuring out as I go. For the record, I now think teaching is an incredible career that can be incredibly difficult but also extremely rewarding.

I also believe that Coniston increased my willingness to take risks, like beginning a new career with close to zero preparation. As a 16-year-old at the CIT-led vespers, every CIT was tasked with sharing one sentence about how their time at camp had influenced them. The one sentence of wisdom that I shared was, “At camp I have learned to become comfortable going outside of my comfort zone”, meaning that taking big risks and jumping headfirst into the unknown was something that I felt more confident in doing. I strongly believe that this mentality developed at camp has played a large role in my career and life in general.

Are there any skills or traits you gained at Coniston that you use in your professional life?
 

Thinking on my feet! Expressing gratitude. Working with children. Collaboration. Being creative. Working while exhausted. Listening to and empathizing with others. Building relationships.

Are there any specific memories from your time at Coniston that are still impactful to you?
 

Thanks to the annual schedule of a teacher, I have been able to return to camp after a 7-year hiatus, so I have many fresh memories to pull from as well as older ones from my time as a cabin counselor. At this point, it’s easiest for me to identify what has been most impactful to me over the past two summers from my time working in the kitchen and as the camp naturalist since those experiences are freshest in my mind. For myself and many of my friends, the stress, isolation, and uncertainty of the pandemic caused me to become more reserved and withdrawn and dulled my social skills. Returning here to this environment of constant interaction with friendly, kind, and interesting people has helped me redevelop and build on atrophied interpersonal skills. 

My memories now are not so much specific big events, but a mosaic of smaller events and conversations with dozens of people on hundreds of occasions. That being said, there are some sunset paddles, reunions, and social events that I will remember for a long time. I also have loved sharing memories with others. This summer, for example, a former cabin counselor of mine from my last year as a camper, Steve Dacey, visited for an afternoon. I enjoyed sharing with him my memory of the overnight solo our cabin had on top of Penny Royal during the Perseid meteor shower and how I remember my cabinmates and myself being very open and vulnerable with each other.

Jen Whitman-Middle School Teacher-Coniston: 2003-2015

How old were you when you started Camp?

I was 12 when I first came to camp!

How were you introduced to Coniston?

My friend at school introduced me!

Did you attend college, and if so, what did you study?

For college, I went to Boston University and majored in mass communication and minored in psychology and education. For graduate school, I went to Wheelock College and got my masters in integrated elementary and special education.

What is your current job? 

I currently work at Kennedy Middle School in Natick, MA. I teach 6th grade English and social studies. I also coach track!

How has your career journey evolved?
 

I always knew that I wanted to work with kids and that there was a chance that I would become a teacher, but when I started college, I was planning on becoming a camp director. After college, I realized that teacher would be a better fit for me so that I could work directly with kids every day and I went back to school for my masters. I taught 5th grade English and social studies before moving up to 6th grade this year! But who knows, there’s still time for me to become a camp director one day!

Did Coniston influence your ability to create this journey?

 
Of course – in so many ways! At Coniston I got to work with so many amazing and talented people who inspired me to be better for my campers everyday. I learned to work as part of a team and that leading by example is the best way to lead. Most importantly, my campers helped me realize that I needed to do a job that involved working directly with kids because I was happiest when I was with them. I would not be as strong of a teacher today without camp.
 
Are there any skills or traits you gained at Coniston that you use in your professional life?
 
Definitely! Leading Adventure Camp and taking the WCITs out west taught me about responsibility, organization, planning, and so much more. I had to make sure that everyone had food to eat, had everything they needed, was safe, and was having a good time. It was hard work! I use the skills I built on those trips every day at school!

My experience working at camp has had a huge impact on my teaching style. I try to infuse my classroom environment and my lessons with the joy and support of camp. I put relationships first, both mine with my students and my students’ with each other, because once there is that close bond of trust, the serious learning and growing can start.
 
Are there any specific memories from your time at Coniston that are still impactful to you?
 
I will never forget the first Adventure Camp trip I lead! The only camping I had done before that trip was my cabin overnights. It poured for 2-3 days straight right when we left. We were soaked, our tents were soaked, and it was impossible to start a fire to cook anything to warm us up. I had to figure out how to solve all of our problems and make the most of our situation. By the end of our trip, because of everything we went through, our group became so close and it was hard for us to say goodbye to each other. Whenever anything challenging comes my way, I think of that trip, and I know I can handle anything!

Talia Ungarelli-Zookeeper, Gorilla and Carnivore Keeper/Trainer-Coniston: 2008-2020

How old were you when you started Camp?

I was 8 when I first came to Coniston.

How were you introduced to Coniston?

My family introduced me to Camp!

Did you attend college, and if so, what did you study?

I attended the University of Vermont and studied Animal Science with a focus on wildlife health and conservation.

What is your current job? 

I currently work for the Gladys Porter Zoo, as a Zookeeper – Gorilla and Carnivore Keeper/Trainer.

How has your career journey evolved?
 

I had the intentions of becoming a wildlife veterinarian but after an internship within a veterinary practice I discovered I wanted my approach to animal health to be preventative with a stronger focus on conservation. I was given the opportunity to explore and work in different zoo facilities through college classes and an internship program at ZooTampa at Lowery Park. Those experiences provided me with a strong foundation to enter my current job as a full zookeeper and trainer at the Gladys Porter Zoo.

Did Coniston influence your ability to create this journey?

 
Coniston most definitely influenced my ability to create this journey. Through being a camper and staff member, I was able to become not only a strong leader but play a supportive role in whatever group I found myself in. With these foundational skills I was able to work hard and prove myself as a valuable asset to the various teams I’ve worked on. Being a part of the Coniston summer staff I was able to set goals for myself to work towards on an individual level and I find myself still setting goals for myself throughout all of my endeavors.
 
Are there any specific memories from your time at Coniston that are still impactful to you?
 
Any and all of the moments that as a group or as an individual we were told to take a moment of pause and look around us. These moments were so special to me as a camper because I remember being filled with so much gratitude for being a part of a space so safe and accepting where I could grow as an individual. I appreciated these moments even more when I was able to share them with my campers. I believe these moments are still impactful because I find myself needing to pause and really take in the moment. In the hustle of the day, or in the middle of a difficult project at work it is easy to forget how lucky I am to be in a career doing what I love and forming relationships with endangered species.