{"id":829,"date":"2018-03-29T01:30:22","date_gmt":"2018-03-29T08:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=829"},"modified":"2024-04-02T14:29:35","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T21:29:35","slug":"erin-mathias","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/erin-mathias\/","title":{"rendered":"The first in a legacy of many"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Fisheries

Erin Mathias, pictured above with Zuri the rhinoceros during a behind the scenes experience at the Oregon Zoo, says she enrolled in the Ecampus fisheries, wildlife, and conservation sciences program to take a step closer to her lifelong dream of becoming a zookeeper.<\/p><\/div>\n

By Julie Cooper
\nMarch 29, 2018<\/em><\/p>\n

The past does not dictate the possibilities for one\u2019s future. Erin Mathias knows this firsthand.<\/p>\n

She wasn\u2019t fond of scientific subjects in her early years of education, and a lack of representation of African American women in the STEM fields \u2013 science, technology, engineering and mathematics \u2013 made it difficult for Erin to envision herself in one.<\/p>\n

But with her lifelong goal on the line, she pushed aside her doubts and enrolled online in the Oregon State University Ecampus fisheries, wildlife, and conservation sciences<\/a> program while working part time in Portland, Oregon. It was a substantial step toward the life she desired.<\/p>\n

Since childhood, Erin has dreamed of becoming a zookeeper and working with captive animals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI played \u2018zoo\u2019 when other kids played \u2018house,\u2019 \u201d she says. \u201cThe older I got, the stronger the desire became to make this goal a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Erin

“I want to work with captive animals because those are the ones being constantly overlooked,” says Erin.<\/p><\/div>\n

Through her Oregon State online classes, she finally found a sense of belonging and confidence as a scientific learner.<\/p>\n

Erin\u2019s attentive instructors made sure no student was left behind in class discussions, and when she struggled to see the finish line ahead, her academic advisor, Susie Dunham, provided mentorship and the motivation to keep\u00a0moving forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven though I had my dream, I never thought it would happen,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m grateful I didn\u2019t let my previous bad experiences with math and science hold me back. Now I\u2019m the one with all the cool animal facts, puns and corny science jokes.\u201d (Well-informed jokes are an often-overlooked advantage\u00a0of an Oregon State education.)<\/p>\n

Last spring, Erin earned her degree in fisheries and wildlife sciences with a specialty in captive large mammal daily care and conservation.<\/p>\n

Her skills and education recently helped her land a position as a laboratory animal tech at the Oregon National Primate Research Center near Portland, one of seven federally funded primate research centers in the United States.<\/p>\n

There, she feeds, provides enrichment for and maintains the enclosures of rhesus macaques, one of the best-known species of Old World monkeys. She\u2019s gaining valuable experience caring for animals and making strides toward her zookeeping career.<\/p>\n

Though she was the first in her family to earn a degree, she\u2019s determined she won\u2019t be the last.<\/p>\n

Erin hopes her successes will set an example for her younger siblings and African American girls who want to enter STEM fields.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up, I didn\u2019t have role models in the science community and I didn\u2019t think it was something I could ever do. I decided I need to change that,\u201d she says. \u201cI want to share my story in the hopes that it inspires kids to follow their dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n

Already a role model to many children in her family and community, Erin looks forward to one day interacting with all the curious children who visit the zoo and cultivating the next generation of conservationists.<\/p>\n

Julie Cooper is a student marketing writer for Oregon State Ecampus.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 3<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>The past does not dictate the possibilities for one\u2019s future. Erin Mathias knows this firsthand. She enrolled online in the Ecampus fisheries and wildlife sciences program to pursue her dream career, becoming the role model she needed when she was younger and serving as inspiration to her siblings and African American girls who want to enter STEM fields.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":833,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[673],"tags":[638,206],"class_list":["post-829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-conservation-and-natural-sciences","tag-fisheries-wildlife-and-conservation-sciences"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Erin-Rhino-8.jpg?fit=743%2C478&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-dn","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1519,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/fisheries-wildlife-scholarship\/","url_meta":{"origin":829,"position":0},"title":"Ecampus student 1 of 7 at OSU to earn study abroad scholarship","author":"Steve Lundeberg","date":"August 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Esmeralda Sanchez, an OSU Ecampus student in fisheries and wildlife sciences, will participate in a forest conservation program in Malaysian Borneo after being awarded a\u00a0Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship\u00a0to study internationally during the 2020-21 academic year. It's part of a congressionally funded program designed to broaden U.S. participation in education\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"An aerial photo of a rainforest in Borneo. 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Learn what makes each unique and the different skills you'll gain.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A grey heron stands in shallow water with a captured fish in its beak, reflected on the water\u2019s surface.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CNS-MC-Wildlife-800x450-240529.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CNS-MC-Wildlife-800x450-240529.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CNS-MC-Wildlife-800x450-240529.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/News-CNS-MC-Wildlife-800x450-240529.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1032,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/jordan-levi-fisheries-wildlife-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":829,"position":2},"title":"Experiential learning led to flourishing career prospects for fisheries, wildlife and conservation sciences alumna","author":"Julie Cooper","date":"October 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"New textbooks, classmates from all over the world, the cover of the forest, calls from birds unseen, the fresh smell of soil (and sometimes fish). 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Success at your fingertips.","author":"Heather Doherty","date":"November 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"At Oregon State University Ecampus, there\u2019s always a helping hand available to guide you toward your degree. From student success counseling to 24\/7 library support, online students have access to a variety of Oregon State resources from a distance. 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