For Sarah Love, choosing the outdoors meant choosing the life she wanted. 

A PennWest Clarion student graduating May 9 with a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology, Love grew up near the Allegheny National Forest in Wilcox, Pennsylvania, where fishing, hunting and spending time outside were simply part of everyday life. But her path to PennWest — and to a career in conservation — was not entirely straightforward. 

Originally enrolled in nursing school, Love realized during her sophomore year that life inside a hospital was not the future she envisioned for herself. 

“I want to wake up and love what I do every single day,” she said. 

That realization led her to PennWest Clarion’s Fisheries and Wildlife Biology program, where she quickly immersed herself in hands-on learning, field research and student leadership opportunities. 

Love became involved in the university’s Wildlife Society and Society for Conservation Biology before helping merge the organizations into the BIOS Club and serving as president. Through the club, students participate in fieldwork, environmental outreach and professional development experiences designed to prepare them for careers in conservation and wildlife science. 

Her experiences soon extended beyond the classroom. During an internship with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Love worked on streambank restoration, habitat improvement projects and dam removals while earning chainsaw certification and gaining firsthand conservation experience in the field. 

Last summer, she interned with the Pennsylvania Game Commission in the agency’s North Central Region, working with species ranging from bears and turkeys to northern flying squirrels and wood rats. 

“It was awesome,” Love said. “You were working with something new every single day.” 

At PennWest, Love also discovered a passion for research while working alongside faculty mentor Dr. Andrew Turner. Her research focused on otoliths — tiny calcium carbonate “ear bones” found in fish that scientists use to study age and growth rates. The work combined field collection with microscope-based lab analysis, an experience that reinforced her interest in scientific research and graduate study. 

Now, immediately after graduation, Love will begin her career as a watershed specialist with the Elk County Conservation District, where she will oversee stream monitoring and habitat restoration projects close to home. 

For Love, the role feels like a full-circle moment — proof that following her passion led her exactly where she was meant to be. 

“This is where I need to be,” she said. “I’m choosing this for myself, and I’m so, so happy.”