Wildlife Vocalizations: Jacob Powers

Wildlife Vocalizations is a collection of short personal perspectives from people in the field of wildlife sciences.

My biggest inspiration is my family. My father was a pipefitter and my mother a Filipino immigrant, who came to the United States for better opportunities.

After high school, I spent four years in the Marine Corps. College classes, especially math, were difficult after such a long time out of school. However, I knew I would never give up because I wanted my parents to see that I could take care of myself, and that they did not have to worry about me anymore.

Now, I am a graduate of Tennessee Tech, an environmental scientist for the state of Tennessee, am continuing my education by pursuing my master’s at Tennessee State University, and have a wonderful wife and home.

Keep pushing, and you can do anything. Don’t be discouraged if it takes you a little longer than you’d like to reach your destination, and do your best to enjoy the journey.

Learn more about Wildlife Vocalizations, and read other contributions.

Submit your story for Wildlife Vocalizations or nominate your peers and colleagues to encourage them to share their story.

For questions, please contact Jamila Blake.