The sun was setting over a little Stow neighborhood in 1995. Eight-year-old Jennifer Daring knew it meant she would have to go inside soon. That was her mother鈥檚 rule: be home by dusk.
But Daring was always pushing it. Just a little later. Just a little more time. Just a few more minutes outside to catch the lightning bugs dotting her grandma鈥檚 front yard at dusk. Just a second more to collect caterpillars and watch them become something new.
For Daring, outside felt like home. And some things never change.
At 34, Daring is still always outside 鈥 hiking, biking, rock climbing, kayaking. And, in May, she will earn her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with minors in biological science and geography from 江南体育 at Stark, which will put her right where she wants to be.
But, getting here took some time. Like the caterpillars she found as a curious little girl, Daring would go through a metamorphosis, too.
From caterpillar to cocoon
Daring graduated from Stow-Munroe Falls High School in 2005 with little interest in following her peers to college.
Having bounced around a lot as a kid 鈥 from low-income housing in a single-parent household with her mom and brother, to living with her grandma, to moving to a home in Munroe Falls, to moving back in with grandma, then to an apartment 鈥 what she wanted in life was some stability.
Daring worked in the service industry for several years before making the decision to go to college.
鈥淚 decided after being a bartender for five or six years at that point, that, you know, you can鈥檛 retire off of a bartender鈥檚 salary,鈥 said Daring. 鈥淚t really kind of put things into perspective for me, and so I decided it wasn鈥檛 too late.鈥
In 2016, she started her collegiate journey at Stark State College to earn an associate degree and, soon after, Daring decided to take it a step further and work toward her bachelor鈥檚 degree at 江南体育 State Stark.
Inside the chrysalis
When asked what inspired her to go into environmental studies, one of 江南体育 State Stark鈥檚 newest degree programs at the time, Daring didn鈥檛 hesitate.
鈥淏ill Nye the Science Guy,鈥 she said, smiling.
As a little girl, Daring watched in awe from her elementary school classes and on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) at home, as Nye explained, well, everything, it seemed.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I grew up with,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 what made me love science. It鈥檚 what made me love the outdoors and learning about things and how they work and protecting them.鈥
So, she dove into the world of environmental studies and hasn鈥檛 looked back since. She took classes in geology, entomology, biology, geography 鈥 and flourished in the presence of Stark Campus faculty who truly care.
鈥淭he connection that you have with the professors here is just so wholesome,鈥 said Daring, mentioning Dr. Chris Post, Dr. Matthew Lehnert, Dr. Robert Hamilton, Dr. Gordon Cromley and Dr. Greg Smith by name. 鈥淵ou can tell they take their time and want to help you succeed. It鈥檚 very clear.鈥
In 2019, Daring began at Summit Metro Parks as an outreach program assistant. In the position that counted as an internship and credit toward her degree, she planned and facilitated her own nature programs for the public, leading themed hikes that focused on trash cleanup, bird-watching and health. She worked with children in the after-school Nature Club, and even had the opportunity to work with the Conservation Department surveying bats, trees and beehives.
Even when the position ended, she stuck with it.
鈥淢y seasonal position had expired, but I maintained my relationship with (the Metro Parks) through being a volunteer,鈥 she said. 鈥淪o, I stayed consistent with them and kept my foot in that door so they didn鈥檛 forget about me.鈥
And they wouldn鈥檛.
Stretching her new wings
In addition to her work with Summit Metro Parks, Daring took the helm of the Northeast Ohio women鈥檚 adventure group, Green Girl Gang, at the beginning of 2020.
鈥淚 really get to unite women of like-minded interests all together,鈥 said Daring. 鈥淲e do anything from rock climbing, backpacking, mountain biking, kayaking, trash cleanups 鈥 pretty much anything