A&M students bonded with local elementary students this weekend over reptiles.
Sam Houston Elementary School hosted its annual 3k run and carnival Saturday, which included games, food and a reptile exhibit hosted by the Reptile Hospice and Sanctuary of Texas.
Among the A&M student groups at the event was the Texas A&M Pre-Vet Society. Students volunteered by handling and displaying an array of snakes and lizards for elementary school students.
Daniel Byrd, junior wildlife and fisheries sciences major, said it was his first time to volunteer at the carnival, and it was a great learning opportunity for the volunteers and for the kids.
Byrd said he volunteers with the reptile hospice and described the organization’s directors as “encyclopedias for reptiles.” Through his work with the hospice, Byrd said he felt confident in telling kids at the exhibit about the reptiles that were on display at the event.
“At the very least, it teaches [the kids] to not be afraid of snakes,” Byrd said.
Victoria Trevino, freshman biomedical sciences major and a member of the pre-vet society, said she enjoyed seeing how excited the kids were to learn about the reptiles and not be afraid to interact with them.
“I just have a love of animals, especially reptiles, so it was an opportunity to help out and be with something I love,” Trevino said.
Alicia Robinson, senior biomedical sciences major and officer in the pre-vet society, said her volunteer experience over the past two years has been educational and beneficial. Robinson has worked with small and large animals, but said that working with reptiles also interests her.
“I don’t really have a lot of reptile experience,” Robinson said. “No one in my family likes reptiles, so me just learning about them – I’m actually kind of scared of snakes, but today I got over it. So you know, for me it’s getting diverse and real experience for vet school.”