For some people, dreaming starts at a fairly young age. There are aspects of your childhood that you carry with you into adulthood, and you hold onto those facets with a vice grip. I’m no exception to this, and I am currently living out my childhood dreams.

When I received the call that I got the job as an Educator Intern at the International Wolf Center, I could barely contain my excitement. Not only do I love wolves with a passion, but I was getting the opportunity to educate the public about wolves. I was getting the opportunity to live out my dream, and that’s what I am currently doing this summer. I feel like that little girl back in Indiana playing with her toy animals and playing PC games centered around animals.

Axel and Grayson at the International Wolf Center. Photo by Haleigh Gullion.

That brings me to one key ingredient that really influenced my aspirations, and that’s the PC game "Zoo Tycoon." I was fascinated by all of the animals you could have in your zoo and how there was a virtual encyclopedia within the game where you could look up each animal and learn basic facts about them, as well as their conservation status at the time.

"Zoo Tycoon 2" went more in depth with animal behaviors, not to mention you could actually walk on the ground and get up close and personal with the animals like a real-life zookeeper. That, of course, made my young self go absolutely bonkers.

Sometimes, I wouldn’t even build a zoo, and, instead, would make a wild environment and have the animals behave like they would out in the wild. When I thought that no one else was around, I would even pretend I was a narrator on a wildlife documentary and talk out loud about what the animals were doing in the game and interpret their behaviors.

I will say that was cause for some embarrassing moments, namely when a family member would walk up behind me. I don’t think there was a time where I didn’t turn as red as a tomato after that.

However, "Zoo Tycoon," along with the second installment, "Zoo Tycoon 2," really gave birth to my ambitions. I would spend hours upon hours playing those games. Heck, I’m even listening to the soundtrack as I write this.

Social bonding behaviors between the wolves at the International Wolf Center. Photo by Haleigh Gullion.

"Animal Planet" fed my passions. I owe a lot of my zeal and enthusiasm for nature to Steve Irwin and Jeff Corwin. I vividly remember watching them on the big screen, my eyes glued to the TV as I watched their enthusiasm pour out as they talked and taught the public about various species of animals. I remember thinking to myself, I want to be like them someday.

Not to mention all the other shows that aired on "Animal Planet" at the time, such as "The Most Extreme," "Amazing Animal Rescues," "Big Cat Diaries" and "Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom" that really fueled my vigor for learning about and working with wild animals. I ate those shows up, finding much entertainment as well as a wide array of information from those TV shows.

Now, here I am, teaching the public about wolves and various other animal species that influence/are influenced by wolves. I do my best to let my passion and enthusiasm show, just like Steve Irwin and Jeff Corwin did, and I hope it influences other young kids and fuels their passions, just as my idols have done for me.

I also interpret the wolves’ behaviors for the public, just like I pretended to do while playing "Zoo Tycoon 2" on the basement computer years ago. It may only be for a summer, but in this moment, I feel like a kid again.