Athamandia Bond
Hi, my name is Athamandia Bond. I am 21 and from Virginia Beach, where I lived in the same house my entire life. I am a biology major and hope to attend optometry school after Longwood. I have always enjoyed nature and just being outside, so that is the main reason I signed up for the Yellowstone trip. The other reason being that I don’t have to take english 400 in a classroom, since english isn’t really my thing.
After experiencing this trip I am truly grateful. I really feel like it was a once in a lifetime experience and I enjoyed every minute of it. I thought getting up at 4:15 am to go wildlife watching would be miserable but the things we were able to see made it so worth it. Seeing all the wildlife in the GYE that I normally wouldn’t see was one of my favorite things. The wolves, bears, and baby owls were breathtaking, along with all of the other wildlife. I also never got tired of seeing bison, especially when they were in arms reach from the car window. The landscape was stunning as well and I often wondered how certain structures formed. Fortunately, I had Matt with me to explain how these things, like geysers, were formed. The trip also allowed me to interact with many people I would never have if not for this class. I really enjoyed this, since I am usually quite shy and introverted. All in all, this trip out west was a great experience that allowed me to gain a lot of knowledge and I will always remember it.
Matt Perry
Hello, my name is Matthew Perry from Williamsburg Va. I grew up spending a lot of my time as a young kid outside. This was one of the reasons that I was pushed towards majoring as an Integrated Environmental student. My intention is to find a job that contains my passion for the outdoors and nature. As soon as I heard of this class I knew it would be an amazing opportunity for me. It would give me the opportunity to spend some time in the outdoors and even put some of the information that I had been learning to the test. It would also satisfy the english 400 goal, which isn’t one of my passions or strengths.
This trip was more meaningful than I had ever expected it would be. I figured I would just use this as a way to escape from Virginia, and have a special vacation. On the contrary, I learned more in this english class than I ever would have in the normal english 400 class. I was able to obtain an overall broader perspective and knowledge of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and how each specific issue became an issue and what humans are doing to try and fix them. One of my most special memories that will stay with me forever was waking up at 5 am to go wildlife watching. For the first time in my life I got to watch adult and baby wolves interact in their own homes, instead of through a tv screen. Being able to go ziplining for the first time in my life also was a huge plus. I’m only mildly afraid of heights so this activity was slightly pushing my comfort zone. Overall this trip was worth every cent and bit of effort, and I would recommend it to all students throughout every major.
Kerby Dalton
Hey! My name is Kerby Dalton and I am from Mechanicsville, Virginia. I am currently a senior at Longwood University. I study social work. This trip was out of my comfort zone. I signed up for Yellowstone mainly because the pictures looked beautiful and I had never been before. At first, I did not think I was going to be able to keep up with all the biology facts. Luckily, so many people there had so much knowledge they were able to explain it all to me in a way that got me excited. I never have been much of an investigator. I enjoy the outdoors, but never really have that urge to explore. Through-out the week I found myself exploring more and more and asking more and more questions. I am so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and went on this trip. Also, I was able to pick up on issues others didn’t see from my social work perspective. I would love to come back out to Yellowstone and become an advocate for the animals or even the people who their who deserve it. In general, this trip gave me a greater appreciate for the natural world around me.