From April 6-12, the NCAA celebrates Division III Week -- seven days devoted to the accomplishments of the student-athletes in D3. The goal of the celebration is to raise awareness of Heidelberg and other D3 schools across the nation.
This story is first in a five-part series highlighting the student-athletes at Heidelberg University. It was written by Jeff Garvin, '04, Director of Athletic Marketing & Information.
For more information on Heidelberg's D3 Week activities, visit the D3 Week homepage.
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It started with a meeting.
Less than a month into her first semester, then-freshman environmental science major Sarah Parker met Heidelberg University biology professor Dr. Ken Baker.
"I had no clue who he was because I hadn't yet had him as a professor," said Parker, a middle hitter on the Heidelberg volleyball team. "I told him that I wanted to get in to marine biology. He told me that he had connections, and to give him a few minutes."
Within a half hour, Baker has secured Parker a job at the university's renown National Center for Water Quality Research (NCWQR). He also placed a call to Mona Rutger, director of Back to the Wild wildlife rehabilitation center in Castalia. In a matter of days, Parker lined up a summer internship -- nearly eight months early.
Parker, now a sophomore, was initially skeptical of declaring environmental science as her major.
"Initially, I looked to major in animal behavior or zoology, which Heidelberg doesn't specifically offer," said Parker, a native of McCutchenville and a Mohawk High School graduate. "I was concerned because I'm not a big fan of chemistry and I don't really want to work in a lab all day every day. But the more I talked to [retired biology professor] Dr. Susan Carty, I saw all of the hands-on opportunities there are in environmental science."
Under the guidance of Dr. Ken Krieger, director of the NCWQR, and Jakob Boehler, research assistant, Parker worked on the biology side of the facility. She gained practical experience removing algae and counting mayflies from water samples. Additionally, she helped by relabeling vials and entering them into the lab's vast database, where Krieger and his colleagues could process the data.
"It was background work, but it helped out the lab," said Parker. "I want to take advantage of any opportunity I get."
After her freshman year, Parker began her internship with Back to the Wild. While the full-time staff worked with the injured birds of prey and other large animals, Parker and the other interns handled the smaller creatures.
"We fed a lot of baby squirrels, which are absolutely precious," said Parker, who was an All-American honorable mention in 2014. "We'll have a flock of 15 to 20 ducklings come in at once, so we have to prepare for that."
Parker spent 10-12 hours each Saturday at the facility, giving tours, cleaning cages and other background duties that helped Back to the Wild function efficiently. The experience altered her career aspirations and solidified her decision to major in environmental science.
"This opportunity definitely changed my outlook on what I want to do," said Parker. "I never really thought about animal rehabilitation. But going up there and being a part of what they do really opened my eyes."
