Former student chases his passion for Biology to the Congo to study gorillas.
ColLABs don’t just make an impact on students while they are at Winchendon. Often a ColLAB (or several connected together) allows a student to form an idea of what they want to do with the experience and knowledge. Whether it’s a future job or internship, or a potential major for college, ColLABs lead to interesting and impactful involvement, even all the way to Africa to study gorillas.
Christopher B. ‘17 is pursuing his dream of becoming an evolutionary biologist and anthropologist. After Commencement in May, Chris set off for the Republic of the Congo to study and learn about evolution. Continuing extensive research from two years of ColLABs focused on the topic, Chris is in the jungle of the Congo. His ColLABs revolved around intensive and detailed planning for the trip that included many phone calls to officials from various countries, and devising a suitable travel schedule. As it turns out getting to the Congo is not the easiest task! Chris wrote to us in a recent email: “I do know one thing – that if I hadn’t gone to Winchendon I would not have been able to come here (Republic of The Congo) or to have been so well prepared and mature to make such great strides abroad.”
The aspiring biologist/anthropologist finally saw his vision through to the end after over a year of preparation. Christopher has been fulfilling his dream by working in the field observing gorillas in the jungle, and when he isn’t performing fieldwork, Chris is still incredibly busy meeting with government officials and spending time in various cities and villages. He came away from this endeavor with even deeper commitment to preserving the forests and with an invite back for an internship next year. After his time in the Republic of the Congo has come to an end, Chris will begin studying at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, this fall.
