THEIR ambitions are admirable. Raven Jones has her sights on a career in marine biology, Rose Barton-Nichols is interested in wolf conservation and Callum Cross wants to work at a falconry centre.
And their first steps are all being taken at Bishop Burton College.
The agricultural college has an esteemed reputation in farming but it also offers courses in areas as diverse as first aid, floristry and food.
And as well as housing livestock such as pigs and sheep, it is also home to 100 different species, whose care forms part of the animal management courses Raven, 17, Rose 18, and Callum, 16, embarked on in September.
"It's very enjoyable," said Raven.
"Bishop Burton is known to be brilliant for animal care and I haven't been disappointed."
The facilities are impressive and include everything from exotic creatures to the domestic.
"I'm looking forward to handling and working with all sorts of different animals, such as the reptiles," said Callum.
"It's really diverse with all the species here and, even just dealing with rats, it is good to handle them."
"I'm looking forward to working with the meerkats," added Rose.
They are studying hard under the guidance of curriculum leader Danny Metters.
"All of the elements and resources are driven by the curriculum we offer," said Mr Metters.
"We have option routes that students can go down, so they do broad animal management units and then they can specialise in specific streams.
"And one of the things we really do pride ourselves on is that everybody who teaches in a specialist area is a specialist in that area.
"Our dog groomers have either got their own businesses or progressed in that industry, for example."
The groomers work in the kennels area, which is run as a commercial enterprise and used for teaching purposes, too.
Alongside the kennels, in a large outdoor space, are other creatures great and small, including wallabies, alpacas, meerkats and some of the newest inhabitants, otters.
"We have indoor and outdoor environments because it provides the students with different routines and different husbandry techniques that need to be applied," said Mr Metters.
"They will work with all species, doing feeding, cleaning, handling and then also linking into enrichment, so enriching the animals' enclosures and then monitoring behaviour."
This includes mental and physical stimulation such as a recent experiment to fill crackers with crickets and mealworms and give them to the meerkats. It sounds fun but the animals are not treated as pets.
Mr Metters, who has worked with animals and in conservation around the world, ensures their treatment is appropriate.
"Some of the species you can handle, some you can't, based on the industry requirements," he said.
"If we have a student that wants to work in a zoo or wants to work in conservation and then we have red ruffed lemurs, which are part of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act, that you can actually pick up and tickle, then we're not setting the store for the industry requirements."
Some of creepy crawly inhabitants can be safely handled but students can sometimes require a bit of encouragement.
A tarantula, snakes and cockroaches in the indoor area can be a source of fear for some.
"We have different degrees of animals so, for students who are complete novices who have never handled an animal before, we have animals that are easier to handle, such as our doves, and they can then work up from there," said Danny.
"With our small animals, we've got our mice, we've got our rats and rabbits and then when they develop those skills we have got our chinchillas, all of which need different handling techniques.
"We wouldn't expect someone to handle our 6ft boa straight away, they would start perhaps with a corn snake and work their way up from there.
"We do have some students who have fears and phobias but I haven't had a student yet who hasn't eventually handled a tarantula or handled a snake, so they develop over time."
This sort of support continues from a pastoral point of view, through assignments, and normal teaching lessons with the aim of helping every student achieve.
"Within animal management, the courses we offer provide students with a starting point to move into employment or go into higher education and because the courses are so broad in their design, it allows students to progress into different areas," said Mr Metters, who marked his fifth academic year at the college in November.
He said it was not too late for people to apply, with a January intake coming up.
"I moved here five years ago because Bishop Burton is well known as a land-based college with outstanding resources, so when I saw a position come up, I went for it and I progressed from lecturing to deputy head of department," he said.
"They are investors in people and investors in students."
It is not too late to apply to study at Bishop Burton College next year.
An open day is being held at the college from 4pm to 7pm on Wednesday, January 14.
To book your place, call student Services on 0800 7318281 or email enquiries@bishopburton.ac.uk
Visit bishopburton.ac.uk for more information.
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