Maryland Zoo honors zoology trailblazer Mary Wilson with scholarship program
BALTIMORE -- Last year the Maryland Zoo launched a scholarship named after its first Black woman zookeeper who died during the pandemic.
She made history at the Maryland Zoo and now her legacy lives on by educating the next generation of zoologists.
Mary Wilson worked at the Maryland Zoo for 38 years was one of the few people of color working in zoology and now her legacy lives on through this scholar program.
Tanya White, a Maryland Zoo Operations Specialist, says she didn't know who Mary Wilson was until someone at the Zoo introduced them.
"From that point on I kind of viewed her as an idol," White said.
An idol and an inspiration to the next generation of zookeepers.
"The history of animals that she had worked with was unheard of for a woman at that time lte alone a Black woman," White explained.
Now her legacy lives on through The Mary Wilson Scholar Program - a five-week internship at the Maryland Zoo that provides college students with valuable hands-on learning and research experience.
John Alexander participated in the program as an intern.
"It's not an experience you get a lot, especially being in Maryland, there are not a lot of opportunities to work with animals. There are also not a lot of opportunities to be paid working with animals," Alexander said.
Alexander is working toward a bachelor's degree in biology at Clark Atlanta University and ultimately wants to be a wildlife biologist specialized in conservation. He says participating in the Mary Wilson Scholar Program was a dream come true and now he hopes to inspire other people who look like him to follow their passions.
"I think culturally we have kind of set that as the norm that if you like nature and you're not into fashion or music it's weird, but it's not. It's perfectly okay," Alexander explained.
The legacy of Mary Wilson lives on at the Maryland Zoo.
"Even just walking around the zoo, I see little children, especially girls, they're like you can do this? I'm like yes you can do this. You can work with animals, work with a bear, elephant, anything," White said. "I think it will inspire people, hopefully, to push to get more people of color in the field because it's an amazing field to work in."