Stephanie M. Schmidt is the Whooping Crane Outreach Coordinator for the International Crane Foundation, and in her job, she is tasked with raising awareness about Whooping Cranes in the Eastern Migratory Population to safeguard their future from poaching. In her job, she works closely with hunters, naturalists, and students across the Whooping Crane’s eastern flyway to build communities that “Give a Whoop” about Whooping Cranes. In a typical week, Stephanie can be found writing popular press or scientific articles, giving presentations in classrooms, master naturalists trainings, and hunter education courses, and developing strategic plans to end the threat of poaching. Stephanie has always had an interest in applied conservation, and she explored this interest in school and in research. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Zoology and Environmental Studies from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and her master’s degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Before graduate school, Stephanie accepted an internship with the International Crane Foundation and their Louisiana partners, the Audubon Species Survival Center, to work with their captive flocks, learn about endangered species conservation, and get involved with reintroduction efforts in her own community. In graduate school, she built upon the experiences and knowledge gained from these internships and she studied state-threatened and endangered marsh birds in Illinois to understand how wetland management for waterfowl is impacting more sensitive and secretive wetland species.