NATALIE SASALA '21, ZOO & WILDLIFE BIOLOGY
Natalie Sasala ‘21 enjoyed exploring nature as a young child, an important value in her family. Whether she was examining rocks or playing with rollie pollie pill bugs, when she was outside she was in her happy place.
A student at Homer-Center Junior/Senior High School in Pennsylvania, Sasala decided to join the cosmetology program at Indiana County Technology Center (ICTC) during high school. She spent half of each day at ICTC and then the rest back at her home campus taking core classes.
She found the science behind cosmetology to be interesting, so Sasala decided to take the leap to attend Make-Up Designory in New York City for six months. There, she not only learned to do updos and beauty makeup, but she was also trained in avant garde, theatre, movie, and special effects makeup, like applying prosthetics. While she was grateful for the experience, she eventually realized that she wanted to try out another career path.
Upon returning home, Sasala worked at a salon and created a side business for special events hair and makeup while she sorted through her next career steps. Remembering how much joy she experienced when out in nature with animals, and how she enjoyed the scientific aspects of cosmetology, Sasala chose to enroll in Malone’s zoo and wildlife biology program.
“I quickly knew that Malone’s on-site animal collection would give me an opportunity to work with a wide variety of different animals without ever leaving campus,” she said. “It made Malone stand out from the rest of my choices.”
This past summer, Sasala took on an internship at Dapple High Farm, where she was charged with the care of different breeds of animals, allowing her to explore her interests in unique and gratifying ways.
“I originally hoped to intern with the Pittsburgh Zoo, working with the giraffes and other large hooved animals, but the pandemic changed my plans,” she said. “Now I’m so glad for the opportunity at Dapple High because it actually opened my eyes to working with animals other than the large ones that come to mind when you think of a zoo. I had no idea how much fun goats and donkeys are, but who knows? They might be the animals I end up working with later on in my zoo career.”
Sasala has enjoyed many memorable moments at the Farm that have added to her excitement for future endeavors.
“I learned that every goat has a different personality, so it was easy to tell them apart after I got to know them,” she said. “I absolutely loved bottle feeding the baby goats. It was a very humbling experience. I also appreciated the exposure to their on-site monarch butterfly preserve, which sits on 32 acres of land filled with wildflowers. It was overwhelming and beautiful.”
Classes at Malone have helped Sasala prepare for a career after college.
“I have obviously benefited from my biology courses, but it was a surprise to see how my communication courses helped me prepare for a career of teaching people how to interact with animals,” said Sasala. “I was shy, and Introduction to Theatre pushed me to open up and feel comfortable in uncomfortable situations-- a necessary skill when dealing with animals and people on a regular basis.”