Amy Dolan-Class of 1997

Amy Dolan - Fox Tales Q&A

What year did you graduate?

1997

What is your most memorable high school experience? 

All of my best/most memorable moments from high school revolve around my friends and the experiences we had together in school, at school-sponsored activities, and outside of school.  

What are you doing now professionally and how did you get into this career path?

I currently work as a conservation biologist for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation coordinating the Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas which is a large community science project meant to track and conserve bumble bees across Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada.

My path to this job was winding. After earning my bachelor of science in biology, I also worked to get my secondary teaching certification. Since then, I've spent most of my career teaching middle and high school science in a variety of contexts, but an entomology elective I led with students in Arizona inspired me to go back to school to get my master’s degree. My time studying entomology at Montana State University led to a fascination with native bees and especially bumble bees. When this job was posted last year as a combination of bumble bee ecology and community science (e.g. education and outreach plus bumble bee science), it sounded like a great fit for me. 

What was your first job? 

First job ever? Was at SueAnn's bagels that was across the street from the old FVL campus.  
First teaching job? Was teaching middle school science in Hingham, Massachusetts. 
 

What is something valuable you learned during your career?

I keep learning that there is always so much more to learn and discover and be in awe of in the natural world. In all aspects of my life—teaching, learning, interpersonal relationships, mental health, and the stewardship of nature—I continue to be reminded of how it's important to have an open mind, think critically, acknowledge mistakes, and never lose a sense of wonder in how amazingly beautiful and complex the created world is. This Maya Angelou quote really resonates with me: "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."