Sophia Jones, Class of ’26: A zoology student shaped by study abroad and field experience

Jones said she also learned something about who she is as a traveler.

"I found that I really love solo traveling," she said. "I've always been an independent person. I was able to go out and see new things, hike in new places and meet new people independently on the spur of the moment and do everything on a whim. That was helpful. I could see myself working abroad and see myself doing bigger things."

Balancing academics, field experience and confidence in Corvallis

Jones' degree includes a minor in environmental science. She worked at a veterinary hospital in Corvallis for more than two years.

"One of the most important things to me has been not only focusing on schools but also figuring out how to balance everything the university as well as Corvallis has to offer,” Jones said. “It's been really, really important to be in this town and take advantage of all that it has to offer in terms of social connections and opportunities and advisers and making the most of every single day that I have here.”

Her next adventure is applying for a position with the Peace Corps. She hopes to move to Cambodia in July to work with primary or secondary students.

Jones grew up in Sacramento, California, where her interest in zoology manifested itself early.

"My first-grade posters that I made about what we wanted to do when we were older were always that I wanted to be a veterinarian," she said. "I knew going into college that I wanted to do something working with animals."

She's always been an outdoor person, she added.

"I really am not a city person," she said. "I was always along the American River in Sacramento. I grew up being outside and being able to play with my friends and be independent and be outdoors and collect plants and bugs." As a high school freshman, she was convinced she was going to veterinary school after she received her undergraduate degree. She shifted gears when she was a senior in high school with a teacher who taught her about environmental science.

"She was extremely influential in my current path,” Jones said. “I decided I wanted to do hands-on work right now, and I did have more of an interest in exotic animals and going abroad.”

The Pacific Northwest, and particularly OSU, seemed a perfect fit after high school graduation.

Although someone who likes to travel by herself, she joined a sorority when she moved to Corvallis.

"I was really, really shy when I came to college,” she said. “I wanted to make this experience be something where I could figure out who I was, figure out what I enjoy in my friendships and relationships and just find a way to meet new people. That's what really drew me to Greek life. It helped me build myself and build my confidence. It's helped me in all my professional interviews."

She also made some of her closest friends.

“It can feel like you're in a chapter with a lot of people, but the experience has been amazing so far,” she said. “I wouldn't change it for anything. It built me into who I am today. I wouldn't be as social as I am today if I hadn't forced myself to go through this."

College is a great time to experiment as more than just an aspiring scientist, she added.

"I really like pushing myself to try new things,” she said. “I think especially in college, this is the time when you can try as many new things as you want. And if you don't like it, you don't like it. You don't have to keep doing it."

Her future seems much more clear now, Jones said.

"What I've been moving toward for the past couple of years is doing wildlife conservation work abroad," she said. "I want to find ways to connect communities and environmental care and continue to learn through work and figure out new ways to bring innovation to conservation."