Madison Bellotti, a dual environmental science and biology major at PennWest California, is spending her summer interning at the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh. The life-changing experience has even changed the trajectory of her academic and career goals.

Bellotti’s days are filled with hands-on responsibilities, from cleaning enclosures and preparing diets to hand- and tube-feeding patients, administering medications, and assisting with exams. She works with a wide variety of native Pennsylvania species, including a red-tailed hawk she helped treat after a wing injury.

“This photo was taken after we had wrapped his wing, gave him medications, and hand fed him,” said Bellotti, a Uniontown, Pennsylvania, native.

Though her coursework prepared her with a strong scientific foundation, Bellotti says the internship has opened her eyes to an entirely new side of wildlife care that can’t be learned from textbooks alone. Inspired by the experience, she’s decided to shift her biology major toward fisheries and wildlife biology to align more closely with her newfound passion.

“This internship opened a door to a field I knew nothing about,” Bellotti said. “Doing an internship is very important, as it provides a completely different experience than the classroom and can really open opportunities for future paths.”

Looking ahead, Bellotti plans to earn a master’s degree and pursue a career working with wild animals.