24 TOWER | FALL 2022 Not a day goes by that you won’t find Joe Scoboria ’16 chatting with students in the cafeteria at Daniel Boone Area High School, where he is the assistant principal for grades 9 and 11. During lunch, they talk about everything and nothing — friends, grades, sports — and forge a connection that helps them feel part of something bigger than themselves. These interactions, Scoboria said, are part of ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS confirmed his KU education has served him well. “KU prepared me for a career in wildlife just as well as any larger, well-known university could have,” he says. The excitement in Heft’s voice is palpable as he shares insights into wolf behavior. He describes specific steps he took to be bonded to the wolves that spent two decades in his care. He gained their trust by spending several hours with them every day until they were socialized enough to allow him to enter their 20-acre enclosure. “At that point, the Sawtooth Pack was 11 members strong. I would enter the enclosure in the morning and I would literally have 11 wolves run at me and want to welcome me into their enclosure for the day,” Heft says. A key part of establishing rapport involved getting down to the wolves’ eye level, never letting body language show dominance or submission. The daily greeting included pack members licking his face – but Heft dispels myths that wolves are like dogs, noting they don’t learn their names and can’t be trained to do things on command. Those details and more are part of what he shares in educational videos on the wolf center’s website, in presentations at festivals, fairs and community programs and in regular talks given at Winchester Lake State Park. He also writes articles for the center’s newsletter that delivers wildlife lessons to subscribers. FOCUS ON VIRTUAL EDUCATION With the death of the last of the center’s captive wolves during the pandemic and the return of sanctuary land to the Nez Perce tribe, the wolf center has evolved into a virtual educational entity. A new focus of Heft’s work is Captive Logistics and Welfare (CLAW) consulting, a service advising organizations on best practices for handling and caring for captive wolves. Chris Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the wolf center, says that Heft’s expertise and involvement are integral to the organization’s new focus. “The depth of integrity and conviction he works from is unparalleled,” Anderson says. He notes that Heft’s knowledge is complimented by an ability to build relationships with many people, from scientists at Washington State University to residents of the rural town of Winchester. Those community connections include Heft’s work training emergency medical technicians at the local community college. He’s an EMT in Winchester, where he also serves as the tiny community’s fire chief. He jokes that he’s called “The Wolfman” by some tribal leaders and community members, but it’s a title he wears proudly. He thinks back to the days at KU when he dreamed of working with wolves and says he would tell students, “Follow your dreams, because you can make it happen.” what encourages students to keep showing up every day. He learned the value of conversation at home, as well as the joys of working in education. “Growing up, my sisters and I were busy with sports and activities, but our parents always found the time to sit around the dinner table and ask about our day. You weren’t allowed to leave the Scoboria kitchen table without first engaging with current events, debate and politics,” he said. “My mother (Dr. Rosemarie Cirulli ScoboriaM’81), a teacher and reading specialist, came home with proud ‘a-ha’ moments from her students, and talked about what a great team there was at Daniel Boone.” Scoboria’s father, Joe, a business representative for AFSCME and former president of the Local 462 chapter, and a former probation officer, demonstrated how important it is to get involved and advocate for others. At KU, Scoboria took this lesson to heart, and represented the College of Education as a first-year student and sophomore. The following year, he ran for Student Government board president and won. He would go on to be re-elected for his senior year. “I ran on a platform of campus safety and events,” he said. “As president, I spoke to students about voting and having a voice in government. We participated in (PASSHE) Advocacy Days in Harrisburg and shared our thoughts and ideas with JOE SCOBORIA ’16 continuing the legacy of education
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzcxOTE=