So keep your ears open, make sure to meet lots of new people, and put the word out there about what you would like to do. My teachers helped connect me and they could do the same for you.
While working with elephants in Africa seems really glamorous, it can be hard too. The days are long and hot, and you do a lot of work outside near the Equator, so you have to be careful to drink enough water and stay out of the direct sun. There are lots of challenges with not having the same things we are used to in the U.S. and working in such a remote place. If you get a flat tire, you have to be able to change it yourself! There is often no cell phone service, and sometimes you don't get to speak to your loved ones at home for days or weeks. You can't just go pick up take-out food or hang out with your buddies either. However, all those small sacrifices and discomforts are absolutely worth getting to spend time in one of the most extraordinary places in the world.
You don't have to have many special qualifications to become an explorer, except for one: curiosity. So think about the questions you have and the places you want to see, and work from there. Start reading everything you can, study hard, and you could travel around the world trying to help ecosystems and the species within.
