Help Maddie Study Abroad d to South Africa

Maddie Sarver is looking for funds to help with a study abroad trip to South Africa. She has such a passion for learning and caring for animals this trip of a lifetime will be giving her the exact amazing hands on and educational  experience that will help her future in working with animals and their conservation.  During her time over in South Africa she will be studying  wildlife conservation science and assisting in wildlife rehabilitation. She will be traveling  to Moholoholo Wildlife Rehab Center, an elephant sanctuary, and the largest privately owned rhino conservation breeding facility. 

Cost of Study Aboard Trip: $7000 plus expenses 

Maddie is going into her senior year at the University of Illinois working on her Animal Science Degree while applying to Vet School this upcoming  year.  She is hard working, loves volunteering and giving back to the community. Maddie currently works as an Vet Assistant at The Animal Hospital at the Crossing and as an Part-Time Zoo Keeper/Wagon tour guide at Aikman’s Wildlife. On top of that she volunteers at U of I Vet Med Rehab Department, U of I Horse Farm, U of I Wildlife Clinic and in the past U of I Emergency Vet Hospital. This last January Maddie went to Guatemala to help several areas with a group that offered free spay/neuter, health checks and vaccine clinic.  During her time there she evaluated dogs/cats, did spay/neuters and assisted in a few other surgeries. Not only helping animals Maddie  stepped up this summer in the evening to help her niece’s baseball team to practice and assist during games when the team struggled to have volunteers.  Maddie is amazing considering she struggles with an incurable disease called Achalasia that had her malnourished and almost in renal failure her senior year of high school.  She will continue to at times struggle with this disease having to maintain symptoms with medication and medical procedures. Even at her worst health wise her senior year of high school she excelled academically being an Illinois Scholar only one from her graduating class, Valedictorian of Bement High School, Honor Society, playing all kinds of sports and in extracurricular activities/clubs. Her struggles with her disease gives her passion and drive to work hard not waste time in life. She values the ability to make sure she is doing something meaningful in helping our environment and all of us in it. 

Any donations  to help her with this upcoming trip to South Africa is appreciated and we are thankful beyond words to express. If you want to donate but not in this form due to personal reason or to avoid fees please contact us directly as we will have an account set up directly with her bank.

Thank you from Maddie Sarver and her family.