The summer before her senior year of high school, Meredith Jackson took on an atypical student summer job: caring for an elephant in Thailand.

The sophomore retail management major discovered a volunteering opportunity through the company Rustic Pathways, which is a high school and gap year summer travel program. She traveled to Thailand for two weeks, where she volunteered at an elephant conservation center in Lampang. She was so inspired by her experience that a year later, she tattooed an elephant head on her left ribcage.

While at the conservation center, it was Jackson’s responsibility to work with and babysit the specific elephant assigned to her. She was in charge of bathing, feeding and simply hanging out with the elephant, which even included elephant rides.

“I just had such a positive experience in that country,” Jackson said, reflecting on her time abroad.

Jackson said in general, she loves any volunteer work involving animals. During her first week with the company, Jackson did her elephant work, and the week after she was able to explore all throughout Thailand.

When she returned home, she said her already strong love for animals had increased tremendously, and in particular her love for elephants.

“Their love and appreciation for elephants really touched me as a fellow animal lover,” Jackson said of the conservation center. “I really like how well-respected elephants are in different cultures.”

Jackson decided to get her tattoo at the parlor Sacred Tattoo in New York City.

The elephant head is large in size, with trunks, a long snout and big ears. Jackson said it captures the exact features of an elephant. Done in black ink, the tattoo is filled in with a tribal print full of floral and geometric shapes, and gives off a Georgia O’Keeffe feel to it. Jackson drew the original sketch for the tattoo, but then had the artist perfect it.

Jackson said she knew when designing the tattoo she wanted to feature the animal that fed her inner desire to explore the world.

Said Jackson: “Now I have the complete travel bug, and I love it.”

Published on February 23, 2016 at 12:01 am

Contact: lmeyers@syr.edu