The Kessler Scholars Program partnered with the St. Louis Zoo to create an opportunity for Kessler Scholars to visit and partake in a specialized career panel and in-depth tour of the Zoo Veterinary Hospital.
The career panel was made up of essential zoo personnel with backgrounds in STEM in various roles like Director of Technology Services, Director of Diversity Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion, Finance Manager, and Director of Sustainability and Construction Management.
During this panel, Kessler Scholars learned about the panelists’ college journey, professional pathway, current role, and personal motivations for working in a community focused environment. This conversation aimed to expose Kessler Scholars to different STEM career pathways and provide networking opportunities.
During the hospital tour, Veterinarian Staff made an intentional effort to teach the Kessler Scholars how a zoo hospital can parallel aspects of a traditional hospital. Kessler Scholars had the opportunity to see the operating room, x-ray room, various lab spaces, and the pharmacy. Veterinarian Staff also demonstrated how medical equipment and technology like x-ray, anesthesiology machines, and surgical equipment could be used for both human and animal application.