Junior Luke Nolby gained a new perspective on life when he studied abroad during fall semester, but he never expected he would receive the School for Field Studies (SFS) Distinguished Student Award for his research in Kenya.

Nolby received the award because of his research project that looked at the abundance and usage of community-run protected areas, called sanctuaries, for wildlife.

“There’s this park called Amboseli National Park in Southern Kenya, and there’s these dispersal areas because animals aren’t going to stay in some human designated area. So, these dispersal areas are the sanctuaries,” Nolby explained. For his project, he wanted to see if animals were actually using the sanctuaries, how many and what kind.

“I basically got to walk around and out in the African bush and look for animals, which was really sweet,” he said.

The award is presented each semester to one student in each of the field programs SFS offers. The student must demonstrate exceptional skill in giving to the center’s research agenda illustrated through his or her directed research paper, oral presentations and approach to the research project.

Nolby’s research adviser from Kenya, Shem Mwasi; the Kenya Center director, Moses Okello; and the faculty team in Kenya recommended Nolby for the award. Mwasi described Nolby as “intelligent, independent and inquisitive… and a great team player and leader.”

Nolby never heard of the award but was very happy to receive it. The biology major studied abroad in Tanzania for a little more than a month and Kenya for the latter half of the semester. He said the trip was an unforgettable experience.

“I’ve always been really interested in other cultures, languages, seeing the world, and I grew up loving animals,” Nolby said. “My sister always told me that whenever she asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I said I wanted to be a bear.”

The opportunity to be around wildlife was the deciding factor for Nolby’s choice to participate in this SFS program over programs in other countries. On the trip, he “saw a lot of ungulates (hooved animals), warthogs (and) elephants.

“One time we spooked a hyena out of a bush,” Nolby said. “You’re on foot for all these things, which makes it really cool.”

Nolby said these wildlife experiences made the trip exciting.

“It’s the most connected I ever felt with animals… in their environment. When you have that fear, it makes you stay in the moment,” he said.

Kyle Zimmer, an associate professor in the biology department, works with Nolby weekly and daily during the summer. He has mentored the student’s research at St. Thomas for almost two years.

Zimmer said Nolby “has an excellent work ethic and is dedicated to both his own research and to making contributions to the larger field of conservation biology.”

Nolby is now back on campus but feels nostalgic about his time spent in Africa. His life-changing trip also affected his outlook on life.

“The range of poverty to wealth is way greater there than it is here. These kids come running from 100 meters away just to see you, the mzungus (foreigners),” Nolby said. “They’re smiling from ear to ear, it makes you think, ‘how can I complain about these small things when these kids are happy with almost nothing?’

“Appreciate each thing. Go there and experience these things for yourself. You can only get so much from listening to someone or reading something. Go there.”

Geena Maharaj can be reached at maha8007@stthomas.edu.