A local South Dakotan and SDSU alumnus has been selected as a finalist for a wildlife competition. The winner of the contest becomes host of a new Wildlife show beginning this fall. A staff member at SDSU says this is an example of how powerful the study abroad program can be.
Stephanie Arne is a 2005 graduate from SDSU and a finalist for the Mutual of Omaha competition. The winner becomes the host of the TV series “Wild Kingdom” beginning this fall. Study Abroad Coordinator Sally Gillman taught Stephanie Arne while at SDSU. She says she went with Arne for a study abroad trip which helped lay the path for a career.
"She wanted something at a zoo, she wanted something with animals. Especially after she had gone to West Africa it became solidified for her. She had tremendous focus and said I want to see myself around the world, I want to give back, I have all these ideas and she just started to go with them," Gillman says.
Gillman says when she has a student with as much drive as Arne, it makes her job very rewarding. Two hundred contestants applied for the Mutual of Omaha competition. Stephanie Arne is one of only three finalists. The winner is scheduled to be selected on July 15.