Samantha Leinberger

Samantha is an Ecuadorian & Italian and is a Zoo Environmental Educator. She currently works at the Turtle Back Zoo and began her zoo career in 2018. One thing she enjoys about her job is that it brings a new adventure every day. One day she could be doing an education program for a school, and the next she could be assisting the keepers with the care of the animals she works with. Although she has only been in her current position for short time, she is 100% certain she knows this is the field she would like to work in!

Since Samantha was little, she has always had a love for animals and the environment. For her, it was a natural draw to work in a field that represents both. After graduating high school, she attended a county college and received her associates. Samantha then transferred to a 4 year college where she earned her degree in Environmental Science & Sustainability. Although her earlier jobs didn’t have a lot to do with this field, she was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to intern at a Marine Stranding center. Later she was offered a job as a environmental camp counselor and was able to stay on during their off season.

Samantha would like people to know that she highly recommends gaining experience while you are in school! Because it can be a competitive field, having the experience under your belt may give you a leg up when applying for internships/jobs in the future. She would also like to share that her favorite animal are giraffes!