Swifts almost never land; they spend most of their time in the air, a year in the sky. During my time at UW, I’ve learned how to keep moving, just like the swift. Over the past four years, my love for animals has developed into a career, I’ve learned to see my creativity as one of my biggest strengths, and I’ve had some of the best experiences of my life. Animals were what I loved growing up. Finding them, reading about them, taking care of them, drawing them. Everything I did was about animals. My love for animals has never changed, but the way I love them has. I’ve worked in a genetics lab for wildlife conservation throughout all four years, volunteered for several wildlife conservation nonprofits, and am currently writing two papers for publication. My passion has grown into a career full of research, artwork, conservation, and education. Turkey vultures have a creative approach to heatwaves; they vomit on their own legs to stay cool. Before baby barred owls can fly, they climb trees with their beaks. Just like these birds, I’ve always been a very creative person. I knew my colors before I could say their names. From sewing my own clothes to jewelry making to painting, I’m always making something. For most of my life, I did not realize what an asset my creativity was. During my time at UW, I’ve learned that my artistic approach to life is unique in my field and one of my biggest strengths. Instead of thinking of art as a hobby, I now think of it as a piece of everything else I explore. Although it seems unlikely, the closest living relative to an elephant is a rock hyrax, a small mammal resembling a guinea pig. Polar bears appear to be white, but actually have black skin and transparent fur. Some of the best moments from my time at UW are the ones I did not expect. Over the past four years, I’ve held wild songbirds, dissected over 600 barred owl pellets, learned to identify every bird in Washington State, extracted DNA from thousands of bags of coyote scat, dissected several roadkill coyotes at the Burke Museum, and looked through more pictures of dead deer than I can count. I came to UW hoping for a degree in wildlife conservation, but all the smaller, but just as impactful, moments along the way were a surprise. In between chasing owls and searching for salamanders, I’ve developed friendships stronger than any I’ve ever had before. I fell in love with my partner. I’ve gone from being a member of my favorite clubs to leading them. Like a swift, I will keep moving as I develop my career. Like vultures and owls, my creativity will always be a part of who I am and an asset I will bring to every aspect of my life. Like the surprising rock hyrax and polar bear, I’ve learned that the best things in life are often the most unexpected and that I will take my memories from UW with me as I begin my next adventure.