Among the hundreds of students who graduate from area high schools each year is a group of truly driven individuals whose scholastic aspirations are just beginning. They enter the collegiate step of their journey with inspired confidence and find the prospects of additional schooling as rewarding as they are challenging. The Chautauqua Region Community Foundation awarded one such student, Sarah Wahlstrom, with over 30 scholarships between 2008 and 2016, as she convincingly worked her way through a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Zoo and Wildlife Biology, Malone University), a Doctorate Degree (Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University), a Ph.D. (Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Florida) and even received the Excellence in Doctoral Studies Award from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.

Now married with the name Sarah Wahltinez, Sarah has come a long way since graduating from Falconer Central School in 2009. She currently lives in Sydney, working as an Aquatic Animal Welfare Veterinarian for Nautilus Collaboration, traveling throughout Australia to various fish and aquatic invertebrate farms. There, she conducts research and performs aquatic animal health and welfare consulting services for farmers.

However, none of this should imply that Dr. Wahltinez was locked down in school for the past fifteen years prior to her time in Australia. In fact, she worked all over the United States, from Ohio to Hawaii, and her “office” has taken many shapes and forms. Sometimes it was an operating room at a veterinary hospital or a laboratory at the San Diego Zoo. You may have found her preparing enclosures and facilities at the White Oak Conservation Center for a category 2 hurricane, or performing tests on rehabilitating sea turtles at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. She’s also graced the grounds of the University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory, The U.S.G.S. National Wildlife Health Center Honolulu Field Station, Idaho Fish and Game, and the Jacksonville Zoo.

Sarah’s list of certifications, awards, affiliations, presentations, and published papers is as long as it is complex, and shows not only how accomplished she is, but how strong her belief is in educating and sharing her accomplishments with the scientific community. She’s accomplished more than most of us will in a lifetime and has made more than a couple fans along the way (including her proud family, who still reside in Jamestown, NY).

The Chautauqua Region Community Foundation has for decades helped donors leave a legacy and impact the lives of those in the greater Chautauqua County community. Students like Sarah have unstoppable momentum and uncontainable enthusiasm for their future, and they are destined to change the world. Thanks to tens of scholarships from twelve different endowment funds, Sarah did not have to do it on her own.

To learn more about Sarah’s accomplishments, visit her LinkedIn page at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahwahltinez

The Chautauqua Region Community Foundation administers over 700 endowments in support of emerging community needs, charitable organizations and local students pursuing higher education. For more information visit www.crcfonline.org or contact Lisa Lynde, Donor Services Officer at 716-661-3390 or llynde@crcfonline.org.