Senior interdisciplinary studies major Avery Birnbaum knows exactly what he wants to do after graduating this May: become a zoologist.
“I love to study animals,” said Birnbaum. “Ever since I was a kid, I was fascinated by them. Miller Park Zoo here in Bloomington was the first zoo I ever went to as a kid. I became fascinated by shows like Zoboomafoo and shows on Animal Planet with Steve Irwin The Crocodile Hunter. I wanted to help conserve animals and protect native species.”
Birnbaum’s path to Illinois State was not a direct one. Though his mother attended Illinois State, Birnbaum started his college journey at Heartland Community College, where he earned an associate degree in 2020.
Birnbaum then enrolled as a zoology major at Illinois State, but he initially struggled academically and was dismissed from the University for a brief period before successfully reenrolling.
“I’ve had some hard times academic-wise,” said Birnbaum. “It was statistics class where I struggled. And chemistry was also very hard. And of course, there was genetics class too.”
After getting back on track, Birnbaum switched his major to interdisciplinary studies, but his zoology dreams were undaunted. Over time Birnbaum, who is autistic, settled into an effective routine.
“Once I got into it, I feel like I got a sort of rhythm,” said Birnbaum. “You just wake up, type all of the classes in your calendar before school starts, then you go into those classes and repeat and repeat and repeat.”
Birnbaum said he also benefits from a supportive team of professors and advisors.
“My Spanish professor Benjamin Schmeiser helped me when I was having a hard time with understanding Spanish. Dr. Pirmin Nietlisbach, who was my biological evolution teacher and my avian biology teacher, helped and inspired me,” said Birnbaum. “I’ve also met some good counselors and academic advisors. My first academic advisor was Patrick McNulty, and my second, my current one, is Wendi Whitman. They helped point me to what I could do after ISU.”
In addition to his classwork, Birnbaum participates in Brown Boots, a registered student organization (RSO) that organizes hiking, biking, and camping throughout Central Illinois.
“I was at Festival ISU where they have all those booths where you can sign up,” said Birnbaum. “I met a lot of clubs there, like Brown Boots and Conservation Club.”
As Birbaum moves closer to his dream career, he has an entire list of the animals he’d like to work with.
“Animals like elephants and rhinos, they’ve been my favorites since I was a kid. As I grew up, I started to like wolves, mountain lions, and tigers,” said Birnbaum. “And of course, the classic: lions.”
Birnbaum said he is looking forward to spending the rest of his life caring for animals.
“I would like to work somewhere in Yellowstone and help protect the animals there. Wolves are extirpated from a lot of the U.S., and I want to help reintroduce them, because they’re not the monsters that some people say they are,” said Birnbaum. “I’d also like to go to Africa and help protect endangered species like elephants and rhinos from poachers.”
Reflecting on his time at Illinois State with graduation just ahead, Birnbaum said he’s learned to take action to make his dreams a reality, and he encourages others to do the same.
“If you ever have an idea of what you want to do, stick to it and act on it immediately. Don’t wait for something to happen,” said Birnbaum. “Act on your what you want to do as soon as you can.”
This story is one of a series of profiles on Redbirds who are graduating this May. For more information about how Illinois State is celebrating commencement, visit the Graduation Services website.
