Name: Bryan Krebs
Age: 23
Occupation: Writer/Substitute teacher/Brother
Hometown: New Paltz, NY
Top 5 Animals
- Snow leopard
- Jaguar
- Red panda
- Elephants
- Dogs
You said you would like to volunteer with Panthera and have wanted to work with this organization for a long time. How come? What kind of work would you hope to accomplish there?
When I originally was getting into biology, I wanted to do some kind of fieldwork and research, and combining that with my favorite animals would be a dream come true since I have a concern for their well beings. When I was initially hitting that point of trying to save the world, I wanted to save species of animals. Then I saw that people in those positions had PhDs, so I didn’t pursue that as a career choice. I figured keeping current with volunteering would be a good substitute for the moment. I still have ideas of being a teacher, and in the summer working at the zoo doing educational outreach for certain animals. It’s not a complete lost cause, but could be a side job.
You mentioned that you are using writing as a coping method and stress reliever. Is this way of using writing new to you? Do you feel that it has been helping and/or therapeutic?
I think I’ve come to realize that it’s more therapeutic than I thought, but I think I’ve always wrote, to a certain extent. I’ve been writing like this mostly since college, and have attempted a journal, but never followed through with it. Up until college, no one really has a good sense of who they are, and I was kinda lost, trying to do science things. Since college, I think I know myself better, and seen that writing has been more of a unique thing, rather than something that is different or odd.
Tell me about the movie list you used to have by your door. How did the idea originate? What are some of your favorite movie quotes?
Me and my brother really enjoy quoting movies, but usually it’s more about the timing rather than the quote; some of them aren’t even funny quotes from a movie, but it’s how we deliver the line, or the that scenario we’re in. For example, in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, at the end, one of the knights says, “he chose poorly,” and we just do it to get each other to laugh, which is a connection between me and my brother. We have a lot of similar interests, but our humor is a big thing that connects us; it’s a nice moment, makes us laugh, and breaks up day a little bit. Even my mom is included in it now too, but not so much my dad since he doesn’t watch the same movies as all of us. I even do it with SpongeBob quotes with my younger brother. Quoting is more of a thing to do with a smaller group of people rather than a general audience, since I think it can come off odd if I start quoting random movies to people who didn’t know what they are. It’s definitely a way to express myself more because I was pretty quiet in high school, so we made it a rule that you have to quote it if the situation arises.
What is something you really want to do or see?
I’ve never been outside of the US, so I do want to see different parts of the world. Going along with my whole love of nature and different animals, I’d love to do a trip in the Amazon and see the different habitats. Going through some course work in my undergrad about diversity, it would be cool to see and feel being somewhere different, and immerse myself there. I’d certainly love to see a jaguar and a snow leopard, which I know is impossible, but it would be amazing! I’ve always joked about, but had some level of interest, in going to Mongolia. I’ve never ridden a horse, but to ride a horse up the steppes of Mongolia, that would be cool. I’d also like to visit the Colosseum in Rome or some place with historical context because I like thinking about, “this is where the fights would’ve happened,” or something like that. I’d love to travel for both science and history!