Braelyn Shields

Lead immersive safari tours for groups of 15 guests, using place-based environmental education and storytelling to connect the visitors' experiences with wildlife, the Safari Park landscape, and larger conservation efforts Adapt interpretive techniques and communication styles for guests spanning a wide range of ages, nationalities, cultural backgrounds, and levels of familiarity with wildlife and conservation Monitor guest behavior, vehicle positioning, animal activity, and changing field conditions to proactively identify safety concerns and maintain appropriate boundaries between guests, staff, and wildlife

Tour Operator Guide at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (2026-03 – Present)

• Lead immersive safari tours for groups of 15 guests, using place-based environmental education and storytelling to connect the visitors' experiences with wildlife, the Safari Park landscape, and larger conservation efforts
• Adapt interpretive techniques and communication styles for guests spanning a wide range of ages, nationalities, cultural backgrounds, and levels of familiarity with wildlife and conservation
• Monitor guest behavior, vehicle positioning, animal activity, and changing field conditions to proactively identify safety concerns and maintain appropriate boundaries between guests, staff, and wildlife

Supervisor at Camp Coffee Company (2025-01 – Present)

• Manage daily operations, coordinating staff, customer service, and workflow to maintain an efficient, welcoming, and high-quality guest experience
• Train, support and mentor team members in barista procedures, customer service, and operational standards
• Oversee opening and closing responsibilities, cash management, shift organization, inventory, cleanliness and operational problem-solving
• Resolve customer and staff concerns with professionalism and sound judgement, contributing to a positive, collaborative workplace culture, and enjoyable, inclusive space for guests

Graduate Research Technician at Boise State University (2024-04 – 2026-05)

• Led project management of STEM resources and workforce development study across rural Idaho, including ethics board approval, survey design, focus group facilitation and data analysis
• Complete qualitative data analysis and describe results within academic and professional publications
• Led dissemination of actionable findings to stakeholders across the state, including program managers, state policymakers, and environmental management industries, ensuring results informed real-world practice
• Collaborate with state agencies, NGOs, and public educators across the state to design effective studies for stakeholders and cross-reference projects for statewide efficiency
• Designed and implemented a student engagement platform (Campus Groups) to manage experiential learning credit, streamline event promotion and management, and migrate existing forms and data, improving student engagement and administrative efficiency
• Coordinated annual research event by engaging community partners, optimizing logistics, and managing judging, delivering a polished, professional experience for participants and guests
• Oversaw development of Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans for field trips within the college, coordinating with faculty and administrative staff to provide safe and engaging experiences for students

Student Media Coordinator at Boise State University (2023-01 – 2024-04)

• Managed and advised a team of over 30 student employees and volunteers across the university newspaper, radio station, and digital media to produce award news and content
• Oversaw our $406,000 budget and generated $40,000 in revenue, saving an additional $20,000 while increasing student wages by at least $1 an hour through collaborative budget planning
• Led hiring, onboarding, training and conflict resolution, incorporating social-emotional learning and peer-led dispute resolution strategies, achieving a 75% retention rate of student employees
• Chaired the Student Media Publication Board and cross-departmental leadership committees, managing major events including a graduation ceremony of over 400 guests each semester
• Utilized CRM (AdPro) and website analytics (Jetpack) to track financial performance, engagement, client management, collaborating with accounts receivable and financial teams for accurate ledger reporting and ensure proper invoicing for clients

Volunteer Programming Assistant at Boise State University (2021-08 – 2022-05)

• Created and oversaw volunteer opportunities for students of all abilities and interests to fill the needs of the local community
• Led implementation of projects and established new working relationships of organizations for the department including Special Olympics, Golden Eagle Audubon Society, Ridge to Rivers, Lasagna Love, Idaho Parks and Recreation and the City of Boise
• Conduct internal community outreach and top-down marketing strategies to recruit students to volunteer at events, resulting in highest recorded volunteer participation post-pandemic
• Collaboratively managed all events with organizational partners to conduct SWOT analysis to better future events for them, collected volunteer feedback to improve the student experience and analyzed attendance rates and KPIs for each program for internal reporting

Shift Lead at Lucky Perk (2017-06 – 2024-12)

• Interviewed, trained, and mentored new employees while maintaining smooth daily operations, including opening procedures and cash reporting
• Developed strong rapport with regular patrons, cultivating a loyal customer base and a welcoming café community that encouraged consistent repeat business
• Managed social media and promotional content to highlight specials, customer experience and create menus and posters for the lobby and drive-through

M.A in Environmental Management – Boise State University (2026-05)

B.B.A in Entrepreneurship Management – Boise State University (2022-12)