When thinking of options for a college major, the first ones that come to mind are typically things like business, psychology, and education. However, those like senior Jay Jarvis could tell you about more unique paths to take – like the Fish and Wildlife Conservation biology major she’s committing to at Colorado State University (CSU) next fall.

Jarvis has been interested in biology and conservation all throughout her high school career, having taken classes like Field Bio in sophomore year and AP Environmental Science in junior year.

Additionally, Jarvis has been helping science teacher Kale Mann with his greenhouse project, where she helps to plant and grow local natural grasses.

“We’re growing them up from seedlings, and then we’re transferring them to our rain garden,” Jarvis said. “And eventually the big picture idea is that the whole back of our school (the Stanley Nature Park) is [restored].”

But after this year, Jarvis is leaving BV and the greenhouse project behind to go to Denver, and study at CSU.

“The main part [of picking CSU] was their Key Learning Communities,” Jarvis said. “A lot of colleges have them, but [there’s] one specific one called the Outdoor Leadership Learning Community, where you learn how to contribute to conservation.”

This organization provides vast opportunities for those who join it, such as an internship at the Denver Zoo that Jarvis is looking forward to, and the opportunity to connect with others with similar interest in the field.

“I’m really excited to work at the zoo as my internship,” Jarvis said. “And I’m also excited to meet a bunch of like minded [people], and for college itself I’m just excited to meet a bunch of people.”

The internship with the Denver Zoo is a promising opportunity for students interested in conservation to get hands-on experience with work in the field.

“[The Outdoor Leadership community] works closely with the Denver Zoo, and once a week I’ll go down there, and help with their conservation projects there,” Jarvis said.

After they finish their time at CSU, Jarvis wants to focus her efforts on educating others about conservation and what they can do to help it.

“I don’t necessarily want to be a teacher in a school sense, but I definitely want [people] to know about conservation,” Jarvis said. “Especially what [could inspire them] to go into careers like mine.”

The next chapter of Jarvis’ education is a culmination of many of her efforts at BV, and she’s ready to embrace the new opportunities available to her in the future.

Jarvis said, “I’m really passionate about conservation, as well as when we make fisheries and wildlife just better for our planet Earth.”