Lauren Kirsh

Panama Support Staff

Lauren Kirsh is an Animal Science major at the University of Maryland and will graduate in May 2025. She’s always loved animals and is especially passionate about working with exotic species and traveling the world. Lauren has hands-on experience with a range of animals. She works at a veterinary clinic in Washington, D.C., where she helps care for dogs and cats, and she interned at a small zoo near her hometown, getting to work with incredible animals like giraffes, reptiles, birds, zebras, camels, and more. In the summer of 2024, she traveled to Panama with Loop Abroad, where she worked with sloths, birds, companion animals, and other exotic species. At school, Lauren is an active member of the Pre-Veterinary Society, which has given her opportunities to volunteer with both companion animals and horses. Through these experiences, she’s become even more excited about pursuing a career in veterinary medicine, especially one that allows her to work with wildlife and exotics around the globe. Lauren’s love of animals is matched by her love of adventure. She comes from a family of travelers and has been lucky enough to visit Europe, South Africa, Central America, and Canada. When she’s not working with animals or studying, you can find her hiking, collecting oddities, or hanging out with her big orange cat, Rhino. One of her biggest dreams is to travel the world treating exotic animals—and maybe bring Rhino along for the ride.