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Jordan Small loves animals. The 2021 graduate studied psychology and says that her studies and her job as a naturalist aide at ZooAmerica have more in common than you might think. “A lot of the content in our psychology classes discussed studies done on animals, and one professor pointed out that many psychology students later chose to work in animal-related fields since behavior plays such a large role in their lives,” she shares. After that, Jordan tacked on a biology minor and took zoology-related courses to start her path toward working with animals. In her day-to-day work, Jordan gets up close and personal with the animals at ZooAmerica, which is home to wildlife from across North America. She works with the exhibit animals, including bears, big cats and more. Each day starts with the basics of animal care: cleaning the exhibits, giving them fresh food and water, providing enrichment and checking in on their health. Then it's on to diet prep, recording any important notes on the animals, and more cleaning. “There are many things I love about my job,” says Jordan. “First, I obviously love getting to work with the animals. I look forward to seeing them each morning and getting to interact with them. Most of all, I love being an advocate for them and providing them with the best care I can. Since we can’t verbally communicate with animals, it’s important to take your time with them. This includes taking note if their behavior or physical health seems off or even something as simple as noticing a favorite food, treat, or piece of enrichment.” Like many others, Jordan’s love for animals started at an early age. “We always had pets in the house. I grew up with pets ranging from dogs, fish, hamsters, toads, and even an African Clawed frog,” she says. Today, she keeps geckos and a ball python as pets. Jordan says she expects to work with animals for a long time. “I definitely plan on continuing to work with animals. It’s truly my passion and I can’t imagine doing anything else,” she explains. “I particularly like the big cats and other carnivore and hope to expand my work with them in the future.”