HHS graduate Liana Kabrel (2006) has a job that’s not for everyone, but she loves it. Kabrel works at the Bronx Zoo as a wild animal keeper. She works with many different wild animals in the zoo, such as gorillas, lions, bears, the African Wild dogs, tigers, snow leopards, and much more.

After graduating from Hawthorne High School, Kabrel attended William Paterson University as a biology major, with a concentration in animal behavior and physiology. (Kabrel’s work in this unusual field was recently highlighted in the William Paterson University magazine article “Graduates Succeed in Today’s Challenging Job Market.”)

During college, Kabrel worked in the Bergen County Zoo to learn the basics of zoo keeping to prepare her for a full-time job once she got her degree. Kabrel also spent seven months as an animal trainer intern at Miami Seaquarium, working with bottle-nose dolphins, California sea lions and harbor seals. Two months after graduation from William Paterson in 2011, Kabrel was hired as a wild animal keeper at the Bronx Zoo where she began working with Western lowland gorillas, California sea  lions, okapi and various species of lemurs. “It really is a fascinating thing to work with these animals every day,” said Kabrel. “Building a relationship with them is a unique and special thing that not many people get to experience. It is also a pleasure to have the opportunity to educate the zoo visitors about our animals and how we care for them.”

Back in HHS, Kabrel was involved in lots of student activities. “I was involved in the marching band, art club, and prayer club during my years at HHS.  Some of my better memories include painting my class mural with the art club senior year, making sets for the school play and going on band trips.” If Kabrel  had to relive her high school years, she says she wouldn’t want to change anything. She was satisfied with her high school experience and believes it prepared her well for college.