My name is Raegan West, and I am a senior at Louisiana State University (LSU) majoring in Natural Resource Ecology and Management (NREM) with a concentration in Wildlife Ecology and a minor in Honors. I am originally from Florence, MS, where I grew up playing in the woods and going to my family's deer camp to "help" maintain the land with my dad. Ever since I was a child I knew I wanted to do something with animals. For as long as I can remember I wanted to become a veterinarian, which slowly morphed as I prepared for and came to college at LSU. When I started classes in the Natural Resource Ecology and Management program, I quickly realized there was so much more to working with wildlife than just vet school. During my time at LSU I have discovered a passion for managing and conserving wildlife populations and habitat.  After graduation in May of 2026, I plan to pursue a career geared towards conservation and spreading awareness about wildlife and their habitat.