Leanne White
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
Jacksonville, FL USA
"Somebody took a chance on me and I’ll never forget that."
Career Roadmap
Leanne's work combines: Environment & Nature, Education, and Working with Others
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Studying zoology or biology can open doors more quickly if you want to work with animals. However, I got my foot in the door by following my interest and volunteering at a zoo. If working with animals is your passion, don't write it off just because your background is in something else. People think zoos only have zookeepers and veterinarians—that's not true! We have many different departments—IT, finance, education, nutrition, etc—so you're likely to find something that can fit your background.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I grew up in San Joaquin County, California.
2.
I spent a lot of time in nature as a child and knew that I eventually wanted to go into a career that involved the outdoors.
3.
My goal was to work at a marine mammal rehabilitation center but that was put on hold when my family moved to South Carolina.
4.
I went into college studying biology but was swept up in the computer industry—I got a job as a project manager at a computer company and never ended up finishing my biology degree.
5.
Even though my background was now in technology, I still had a strong desire to work outdoors with animals, so I started volunteering at the Greenville Zoo.
6.
When the education curator position opened up, I decided to go for it.
7.
I worked as the education curator at Greenville Zoo for 13 years before moving on to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, where I currently work as director of education.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Family:
You shouldn't apply for that position. You already have a good job—just stay where you are.
How I responded:
When I first wanted to apply for an education curator position at a zoo, my future husband talked me out of it. He thought that because I already had a well-paying job in computers, I should just stay where I was. I took his advice and someone else got the position. However, he eventually saw how passionate I was about animals and nature. When the education curator position opened up again, he encouraged me to go for it—he knew this is where I wanted to be. I got the job and never looked back!