Courtesy Sophia Barrett

For the past decade, sophomore Sophia Barrett has spent countless hours at the barn taking care of and riding horses. Barrett has always enjoyed sports and animals, so when her mom found the perfect combination of both, she instantly fell in love. Horseback riding has allowed her passion for animals to continue to grow, so much so that she is considering a future career caring for them. In July, Barrett will be given the unique opportunity to travel to Thailand to work alongside seasoned veterinarians at a dog clinic and elephant reserve.

Loop Abroad, the program Barrett is participating in, offers courses taught by vets in Costa Rica, Panama, Thailand, Australia, South Africa and the United States. Barrett will experience Thailand with other high schoolers from around the world, who will all meet in New York for the first time as they board their flight to the clinic.

“We all stay in a building together. I’m going to be spending the whole time there with them. On weekends we go out and explore the city. We’re going to go to different temples and do zip lining and things like that. It’s not just animals, it’s also exploring the cities in Thailand and learning different things. The program says we’ll learn Thai and also meditation from a Buddhist monk,” Barrett said.

As a country, Thailand does not believe in the euthanization of animals. This practice will grant Barrett the chance to perform different types of treatment from what is done in the United States. Along with that, caring for elephants is something special to the country of Thailand.

“I think the elephants are going to be really cool because I don’t think I’ve ever met an elephant. These elephants are rescued so it’s going to be really cool to help and take care of them. The dogs are also going to be really cool because I’ve never been in an operating room before. I know how to give basic medicine and I know how to give medicine to horses, but elephants and dogs are completely different things,” Barrett said.

Barrett’s history with caring for animals started even before she was introduced to horses.

“Sophia has loved animals since she was a toddler and we fostered kittens. At her insistence, we now own a rescue beagle and a calico cat. For years she has helped take care of neighbors’ pets and owned a dog walking business,” mother Katharine Barrett said.

Due to Barrett’s experience with horses, she already has a number of skills that will help her this summer.

“I lease a horse so I take care of it and [I] also do a lot of volunteering at the barn since it is smaller. I’ve learned a lot from the trainers at the barn, especially because one of them has over 40 years of hands-on experience. She’s taught me how to administer oral medicine and give shots. This will help me in Thailand because there are not many specific studies on elephants, so horses are the closest you can get to elephants. So if you want to study elephant medicine you have to learn how to do horse medicine first because they are the closest you can get that we actually know a lot about,” Barrett said.

Beyond caring for animals, Barrett is known for her considerate personality by her track teammates and coaches. Sophomore Lily Bienfang has known Barrett since fourth grade, but grew especially close to her through track over the past year.

“Sophia has always been a very organized and responsible person. She is really good at taking care of people and she is very passionate. She often helps me prepare for hard tests and track meets. She provides me with food, clothing and water,” Bienfang said.