Prepared to Fly High through ESF’s Pathway Program
Jacob Reiter
Growing up, Jacob Reiter was captivated by Steve Irwin and his advocacy for animals. By age 10, Reiter was volunteering at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo (Syracuse, N.Y.), emulating his hero by learning all he could about animals. Today, on the cusp of his college graduation, he is excited about his future in wildlife conservation and grateful for the experiences he’s had at — and before — ESF.
Growing up, Jacob Reiter was captivated by Steve Irwin and his advocacy for animals. By age 10, Reiter was volunteering at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo (Syracuse, N.Y.), emulating his hero by learning all he could about animals.
“I’ve watched every episode of Steve Irwin’s show on Animal Planet. He was so happy teaching people about animals. That’s what I wanted to be,” said Reiter, a Wildlife Science major with a Chemistry minor.
Before ESF, Reiter took Global Environment during his junior year, which is ESF in the High School’s flagship course in which students examine environmental science themes and develop critical thinking skills through classroom and experiential learning activities.
“Not only did the course give me college credit, but it also gave me the foundation for a lot of the classes I ended up taking at ESF,” he said. “Taking an ESF in the High School class is very formative for anyone’s path in STEM.”
When Reiter is not on campus, you can still find him at the zoo, where he works with birds. Birds of prey and waterfowl are his favorite, and he credits his professors Dr. Michael Schummer and Alan Belford for providing him with critical skills and experience in and outside of the classroom.
“It’s so cool to be able to learn from someone who teaches specifically the thing I’m interested in,” he said. “ESF was the best choice I ever could have made. It’s rigorous academically, but I’m glad it’s challenging because I feel like I have a leg up because a lot of people in the field know ESF’s reputation.”
It’s so cool to be able to learn from someone who teaches specifically the thing I’m interested in. ESF was the best choice I ever could have made.”
What Reiter loves most is having a bird on his hand and sharing his knowledge with visitors at the zoo to help them better understand and relate to the creatures for which he has so much passion. While he is still figuring out his post-graduation plans, he said he would love to continue his work with birds at a zoo, but is also exploring opportunities with regional parks, the New York State Department of Conservation, and consulting firms. Looking back, Reiter said he’s grateful he had an opportunity to experience ESF while in high school.
“Taking a course from one of the best environmental schools in the nation, you get information that can help inform your future decisions and gain knowledge that others may not have the opportunity to,” he said.
At the zoo, Reiter said it’s easy to just let the beauty of the bird be enough for visitors, but – like his hero did on-screen – he engages with them about the species to help them better relate to the animal.
“A zoo is a place to learn and make a connection with an animal, and that’s what I want people to do,” he said.
