Ellese Clarke

Site Director for Equine Hospital program

Ellese has always had a passion for animals, outreach, and education. After graduating from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, with a B.S. in Animal Science, and experiencing some health challenges, she learned that her passion and career path would not be directly as a veterinarian but somewhere adjacent to the field. Always eager to learn, experience different cultures, and travel, she has worked with everything from elephants to laboratory mice, including sloths, clouded leopards, and many animals in between through her work in laboratories, farms, zoos, wildlife institutions, and Loop Abroad programs. In her mid-twenties, she founded a nonprofit animal sanctuary and foster program with her husband. It has since become one of the largest animal sanctuaries in Maricopa and Pinal Counties, Arizona, with more than 350 animal residents. The sanctuary is home to a wide variety of animals, including an African crested porcupine, emus, horses, parrots, dogs, reptiles, and more. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her husband, riding horses, kayaking, and dancing. Some of her dream travel destinations include Bali, New Zealand, and India. Her goal is to always bring joy, laughter, and kindness to others while helping create meaningful, lifelong memories and experiences. She is excited to be a member of the Loop Abroad team and help facilitate these experiences for others.