Brett Ramer is currently a sophomore at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania studying Ecology, Conservation, and Environmental Biology.  More about Brett in his words…

I am also working on a minor in Geography. I am hoping to get an internship this upcoming summer in a national park, state park, or aiding a biologist in the field. When I’m not in the classroom, I’m hanging out with my friends, hunting, golfing, or rooting on all three Pittsburgh pro sport teams—Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins.

What Brett has to say about Wildlife Leadership Academy:

The Wildlife Leadership Academy instructors opened my mind about starting a minor in Geography. The WLA instructors explained to us in the field schools that having a minor in GIS or Geography could lead to more opportunities. For example, for my high school senior project, I job shadowed an Elk Biologist Aide. The Elk Biologist Aide, Eric Perlock, used GIS software on his computer to track radio collared elk. I loved this field experience and that is part of the reason why I want to minor in GIS or Geography.

Additionally, I feel I gained a wealth of leadership skills when I was an assistant team leader for Brookies in 2013. The amount of knowledge that I gained in both Bucktails and Brookies field schools has been invaluable and I have been able to use some of the knowledge and leadership skills in my college classrooms. Without the Wildlife Leadership Academy, I don’t feel I would of had some great opportunities such as bird banding in the Allegheny National Forest, tracking elk, or visiting the Penn State deer pens.