UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Recreation, park, and tourism management (RPTM) students and alumni are leveraging experiential, hands-on learning they received at Penn State to make an impact throughout Pennsylvania in animal conservation, environmental education and event management.

Working across the state, each Penn Stater has drawn on student experiences from working with animals at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center to learning about events at the Bryce Jordan Center to help further and launch their careers in outdoor and commercial recreation.

A passion for environmental education: Sarah Zurn

When Sarah Zurn teaches, it is often in the presence of a furry — or scaly — friend.

Working at the Erie Zoological Society in its education department as an intern, Zurn, a fifth-year student pursuing a degree in recreation, park, and tourism management with an outdoor recreation option, plans lessons and creates programs about animal conservation for preschool- through college-aged students.

Lessons feature different “ambassador animals,” which include rabbits and armadillos, among other species.

While younger children may participate in crafts and meet the animals, topics become more in depth with older age groups who learn about animal adaptations, endangered species and how animals survive in the wild. College-level students, including those studying biology, receive a more comprehensive dive into animal conservation. In total, Zurn has spent four summers teaching field trips and camps at the Erie Zoological Society.

“My favorite part is interacting with the animals during our programs,” Zurn said. “I like watching the students learn about conservation and how they can help animal populations and our environment. They may already learn about conservation in class, but it is different seeing these same animals in person."

Zurn credits the hands-on learning she received from her RPTM coursework and experiences at Penn State in helping her progress in her internship at the Erie Zoological Society.

As an RPTM student, Zurn had a work study with the Wildlife Education and Engagement program at Shaver's Creek, which is where she received experience working with animals. She also taught school-aged students on field trips about the animals during a Student Engagement and Experiential Discovery (SEED) semester at Shaver’s Creek.

Zurn said her SEED semester taught her how to convey information about animal and environmental conservation, which she actively uses in her education programming today.

“Having my experience at Shaver’s Creek was a benefit for me,” Zurn said. “That grew my passion for working with animals. It gave me a great base of experience in my field that I can leverage into my future.”

As Zurn completes her internship at the Erie Zoological Society and prepares to graduate from Penn State this December, she is training new hires how to lead education programs so the lessons she has created can continue after her internship is completed.

Zurn said these leadership opportunities helped her learn how to collaborate with employees cross-functionally across departments and will assist her as she advances in a career in outdoor recreation.

“All my RPTM classes gave me knowledge and experiences that I would not have otherwise received,” Zurn said. “RPTM gives students so many options, and students can take the hands-on learning and knowledge they gain into a wide variety of careers. It gives students a great foundation for what they want to do in the future, whether that is in education, at a national park or at a sports arena. There is so much you can learn in RPTM.”

Furthering animal conservation: Cher Vatalaro

Cher Vatalaro, who received a bachelor of science degree in recreation, park, and tourism management from Penn State in 2011, has served as director of conservation education at Lehigh Valley Zoological Society for eight years, overseeing a staff of employees and the operations of its education department, which runs educational programming, summer camps and animal encounters.

Like Zurn, Vatalaro also works with “ambassador animals.” For Vatalaro's, a raccoon is often an animal of choice, helping to bridge the gap between conservation efforts and animals that Pennsylvanians may see close to home.

During a SEED semester at Shaver’s Creek, Vatalaro further delved into animal conservation.

“Everything I got to do during SEED semester — getting involved with rehab birds, running the different programs, learning about our environment and how to show these messages to people — that was an extraordinary experience I’d recommend to anyone,” Vatalaro said about her RPTM student experience. “I still pull from this hands-on learning today at my job.”

While Vatalaro was a student at Penn State, she participated in Outdoor School, which is a residential program for upper-elementary school students run by Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center and staffed by Penn State student counselors. She credits Outdoor School for helping her pick up skills in public speaking and leadership.

“There are days I pinch myself that I get to do this for a living,” Vatalaro said. “I enjoy helping develop our staff, going into the community to showcase our conservation work and getting the community involved in conservation efforts.”

Vatalaro said animal conservation plays a crucial role in the health of the environment and humankind is ultimately conserving itself by conserving animal species.

She sits on the Lehigh Valley Zoological Society conservation committee and on a public engagement committee for African penguins, which aims to improve conservation efforts for this endangered species.

“RPTM with its hands-on, experiential learning has prepared me for the career I have today,” Vatalaro said. “This was the best route to set me up for success in this field.”

Creating engaging experiences: Ethan Stilley

In tandem with animal conservation efforts, zoological societies rely on event management professionals to create a welcoming, engaging guest and activities experience. Event management is where fourth-year undergraduate student Ethan Stilley found his passion.

Taking an arena management course while pursuing a degree in recreation, park, and tourism management with an option in commercial recreation, Stilley found his calling for event management. While onsite at the Bryce Jordan Center, he learned how facility design, event planning and production, event booking and ticketing, and marketing and public relations are critical to the overall success of all types of entertainment venues.

“My favorite part of the course was learning about different types of venues, like arenas, stadiums and concert halls, and how their operations work,” said Stilley, who plans to graduate this December. “The most fascinating part for me was the booking of events, especially for multi-purpose venues. They must organize and schedule well in advance, sometimes more than a year out, so they can book everything.”

Stilley now leverages these hands-on learning experiences as an intern at the Elmwood Park Zoo, where he serves as its attractions manager. As part of the guest services department, Stilley runs the operations of activity courses and assists with the planning and setup of seasonal events, such as light-up nights during the winter holiday season.

“We run all the events and ensure admissions goes smoothly,” Stilley said. “The biggest thing I’m getting out of this is the organization skills. There’s a lot going on, and this real-world experience shows me the importance of organization in this industry.”

Stilley said the hands-on experiences he obtained as an RPTM student has prepared him for his internship at the Elmwood Park Zoo. He hopes to carry these experiences with him after graduation, as he follows a passion for event management, sports and live entertainment.

“The best part about RPTM and the curriculum is that it’s very experiential,” Stilley said. “Hands-on learning is the best way to prepare students for their careers. This is what the RPTM program does the best.”