Lena Tuttle | Student

A Preview of the Future

When Lena Tuttle ’29 walked into the study abroad fair as a first-year DePauw student, they assumed they would simply be scoping out future options for later in their college career. But one opportunity in particular grabbed their attention, and for Tuttle, it couldn’t wait.

“One of the things I liked about DePauw was how much they encourage travel and study abroad,” says Tuttle, “so I went to the study abroad fair just expecting to see what was going on. But then I saw a flyer for a tropical marine ecology program, and in talking to the representative at the table, I realized it was doing exactly what I wanted to do as a career — the science and the biology behind conservation. And not only that, you get to go to Thailand to do it.”

Tuttle grew up in a family that traveled often together — visiting a dozen and a half countries before college — yet their experience in Thailand through the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute was unlike anything they had experienced. Along with a small group of other students, Tuttle was able to spend time working with local nonprofit organizations in settings that included both an educational component and hands-on work experience. It was a perfect environment for someone pursuing a career in conservation.

“Being able to physically get involved in the work definitely had more of an impact than sitting in a classroom learning about how to do it or sitting in a classroom hearing about other people doing it,” says Tuttle. “It really put a lot of the challenges of conservation into perspective for me.”

During the program, Tuttle participated in everything from sea turtle rescue to coral reef restoration. They even earned two different scuba certifications in the process. After all of it, Tuttle has more clarity than ever about what the future might have in store.

“It was a preview for what life will be like after college if I get into this sort of job,” they say. “That’s what I was hoping for. It absolutely gave me a better view of what my options are. Conservation biology as a field is huge. There are thousands of different climates, animal types and individual species that need specific help. I've been thinking through all the work we did and trying to take inventory a little bit on how I felt about the different tasks.”

In addition to these valuable career insights, the experience in Thailand has given Tuttle a fresh perspective on what they’re studying right back here in Greencastle.

“I feel like I'm looking at some of my classes a little bit differently. I'm taking an anthropology class this semester, and having this recent experience makes that class way more interesting. There’s a fresh perspective that comes with it. I wouldn't be able to learn the way I'm learning now without having gone there and come back.”

Where will Tuttle go from here?

“I'm sure there are other things out there I don't even know are an option yet,” they say, “and I'm really excited to figure out what those are. I only have four years here, so I want to do as much with that time as I can.”

Hometown: Columbus, IN
Major: Undeclared
Activities: Delta Gamma, Science Research Fellows, Campus Cats Association, DePauw Political Scholars