Open the doors to Columbus Humane’s expansive adoption center in Hilliard and you’ll find dogs, cats and other animals of all shapes and sizes waiting to find their forever homes. Look beyond the animals to those providing care and you can find a common thread among many of them – they’re Buckeyes who also found a professional home after graduation.

Columbus Humane has over 600 staff and volunteers dedicated to animal welfare, including several who completed their education in Ohio State’s College of Arts and Sciences. These include Grace Langhorst ’17, a senior manager in animal care and enrichment, and Zoe Myers ’17, who serves as philanthropy and event coordinator for the nonprofit organization.

“There’s no better feeling than watching an animal walk out the door to its forever home,” Myers said. “There are moments where it’s hard to keep it together emotionally because it’s very, very impactful work.”

While both Langhorst and Myers are excelling in their current roles and proud of the work being done at Columbus Humane to help animals in need, this was not initially the career that either envisioned after graduating from Ohio State.

Langhorst always showed an interest in animals and considered becoming a veterinarian before pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Zoology. She expected to become a zookeeper or conducting laboratory research after graduation, but in the meantime accepted what she viewed as a short-term role at Columbus Humane as an animal care technician.

“At that time, I was just like, ‘Let's do this,’” she said. “[This job is] with animals while I figure out how to find one of those other paths. Then I just loved it here and the community within the shelter.” In addition to caring for animals at the shelter, the organization also supports animal owners in times of need, helping to ensure pets can stay with their people as often as possible.

Today, Langhorst serves as the senior manager in the animal care department where she works to enhance the quality of life for animals under the organization’s care. Her work includes enrichment programs that keep animals mentally engaged and physically active, drawing on knowledge she gained as an undergraduate in the Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology.

“It started in zoos, this idea of enrichment and these animals being in confined, unnatural environments, needing something to express those natural behaviors,” she said. “I got to bring in some of what I learned in my classes into doing this work.”

Zoology paved the way to Columbus Humane for Langhorst, though Myers’ path was not as clear-cut. She transferred to Ohio State after two years at Ashland University, inspired to pursue the arts by her grandfather, a photographer who passed his equipment down to her. She later received her BFA in Art with a focus on photography. 

She enjoyed her time at Ohio State, drawn to the community formed through smaller class sizes within the Department of Art and the variety of people she got to meet across the university. After graduation, she worked in the service industry while exploring career options and how to apply her skills and interests logistically. Even as she faced an evolving path she felt supported finding her career with an Ohio State education.

“Stepping into the real world, I definitely felt more comfortable with those letters behind my name, on my degree with Ohio State,” Myers said.

Myers began her role at the Columbus Humane as a customer service representative and later became an adoptions manager, she now focuses primarily on planning events that showcase Columbus Humane’s mission and builds support for its programs. 

While photography may not be part of her role, she still incorporates lessons she took from Ohio State into the work she does supporting animals and the people who form bonds with them. Langhorst added that while some aspects of her degree are more relevant than others, transferable skills such as communication and organization developed through classes and experiences in the College of Arts and Sciences are among the most valuable tools she uses daily.

“My degree is somewhat related, but even when it's not, [employers know] this person knows how to show up, put in the work, how to communicate with other people from diverse backgrounds,” she said. “A lot of those soft skills are what I have taken away the most because I'm not doing biology every day, but I am writing emails to communicate with members of the public, my staff, volunteers.”

The impact of their work extends across central Ohio, with Columbus Humane reporting over 3,000 adoptions and 17,000 animals served during the most recent fiscal year. And while occasionally bittersweet, working with these animals from their arrival to the moment they walk out the door with their new humans is a rewarding experience.

“When we bring on new people, it is something that we talk about,” Langhorst said. “You're so happy for [animals getting adopted], but you're like, I walked that dog five days a week for the past two months and you're telling me I'll get an email follow-up and know that they're having their best life? It takes an emotional strength to work here and have that be every day.”

Langhorst and Myers built their careers by exploring and being open to different opportunities, even when those opportunities differed from their original plans. It is the same advice they share with students and recent graduates preparing to start their careers.

“Try anything,” Langhorst said. “If it at all looks interesting, just try it because you might learn that the path isn't what you thought it was, and that new path you found is even better. There's a lot of different ways to success and happiness, and it might not be exactly what you envision.”