CANYON — Most college students spend their summer tackling internships behind a desk. West Texas A&M University junior Audrey Adkison spent hers holding down a nine-foot alligator.
Adkison, a wildlife biology major from Mansfield, was named WT’s 2025 Intern of the Year following a season of fieldwork at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge — a sprawling 3,700-acre preserve where she helped tag and monitor American alligators, manage invasive plants, and assist with prescribed burns.
The honor was announced Nov. 3 during a campus reception in the Natural Sciences Building. Along with the title, Adkison received a $1,000 scholarship and will be submitted for the national Cooperative Education & Internship Association’s Academic Intern of the Year award.
Shelby Ford, assistant director of WT’s Office for Career and Professional Development, said Adkison impressed the faculty committee with her independence, fieldwork grit and dedication to her program.
“Audrey exemplifies the qualities of dedication, leadership and passion that we hope to see in all our students,” Ford said. “She’s a true advocate for her major and her work. Even among an impressive group of nominees, her ability to take initiative, handle unpredictable field challenges, and reflect thoughtfully on what she learned really stood out to us.”
Ford said Adkison’s internship — which required her to capture, tag, and release live alligators — showcased not only her field skills but also her professional growth. “She showed a strong balance of scientific rigor and humility,” Ford said. “It’s not every day a student gets to say they literally sat on an alligator’s head in the name of research.”
Adkison said the experience was unforgettable — and sometimes intimidating.
“On my third day, I had to help drag a nine-foot, nearly 200-pound alligator out of the swamp,” she said. “They told me, ‘All right, Audrey, it’s your turn to sit on his head,’ and I was terrified. When he hissed, I jumped off, and they yelled, ‘Sit back down!’ I laughed, sat down again, and held on. That moment changed everything for me. It gave me a whole new respect for wildlife.”
Her summer involved more than alligator wrangling. She also assisted with bison herd management, prescribed burns to reduce invasive grasses, and nest surveys to monitor alligator populations. The work deepened her understanding of habitat restoration and wildlife ethics.
“I realized that conservation isn’t just about science — it’s about stewardship,” Adkison said. “Every ecosystem is so interconnected, and everything we do has an impact. Getting to see that up close gave me a greater appreciation for God’s creation.”
Her supervisor, Jared Hall, natural resource manager at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, said Adkison quickly earned the team’s trust.
“Throughout the internship, Audrey distinguished herself as a highly motivated and reliable team member,” Hall said. “She contributed significantly to invasive species management and participated in wildlife research, including wild hog eradication, alligator mark-recapture, and white-tailed deer spotlight surveys. She was willing to do whatever was needed — whether that meant getting muddy in a swamp or staying late to finish data entry.”
At WT, Adkison serves as president of the university’s chapter of The Wildlife Society and is an Attebury Honors student. Joshua Brown, assistant professor of biology, said her leadership has reinvigorated the program.
“She essentially brought the Wildlife Society back from the dead,” Brown said. “Our department has gone through transitions the last few years, and Audrey stepped up when it mattered most. She’s been proactive in connecting students to real-world opportunities, reaching out to Texas Parks and Wildlife, and organizing field experiences. She’s one of the stars of our department — self-driven, resourceful, and passionate about conservation.”
Brown said Adkison’s recognition reflects positively on both the wildlife program and WT’s 50-year legacy of field biology education.
“It’s exciting to see life brought back into the wildlife department,” he said. “For her to represent us in the program’s 50th year is symbolic. She’s showing new students what’s possible when you take initiative.”
Adkison said she hopes the honor helps draw attention to wildlife majors and their hands-on, science-based work.
“I feel like people don’t really notice the wildlife majors as much, but I hope this brings recognition to us because we’re pretty awesome,” she said. “We might be out in the field more than in a lab, but what we do matters. This is what we love — what we do — and we have a passion for it.”
In addition to Adkison, 11 other WT students were nominated for Intern of the Year:
Ford said all of the finalists showed strong engagement in their fields but that Adkison’s story captured the heart of experiential learning.
“She combined courage with curiosity,” Ford said. “That’s exactly what we want WT students to take into the world.”
Adkison, who plans to pursue a master’s degree and continue field research after graduation, said the experience reaffirmed her calling.
“I’ll never forget it,” she said. “Getting to work with alligators and see God’s creation up close reminded me exactly why I chose this path — and why I’ll keep chasing opportunities like it.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: WT student honored after summer spent wrangling alligators
Reporting by Michael Cuviello, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
