I moved to Arizona after I received a job offer from The Oasis Sanctuary and have lived and worked here since 2012. Prior to this I lived in a small town in Northern Indiana, where I was born and raised. Moving to Arizona was hard at first, but I was ready for a new challenge. The desert comes with a whole new set of wildlife, scenery and culture.

I attended Ball State University and graduated with a degree in Biology. Throughout my time in college I completed two internships working with animals. In one position I was able to work a little with birds. I loved every minute of it and decided to pursue this career further after college.

My prior work with parrots was helpful but nothing came close to preparing me for the needs of the parrots here. I have learned so much while being here and I truly love working with so many birds, each with their own personality. While I love them all I admit I do have a few favorites. Goofy, a Goffin’s Cockatoo, is just so cute and funny that I couldn’t imagine my day without him.

I have one pet, a cat named Kendall. She is a joy to cuddle with when I’m not caring for all the birds. I love working here and while I don’t think I will be here forever, I know that when that time comes I will truly miss this place and all the birds I have come to know and love.

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