Vernon Township resident Christina “Chrissy” Cochard has been working in Namibia, Africa while completing her masters degree in wildlife conservation. Here she’s seen holding an Anatolian Shepherd puppy; the dogs are used to protect farmers’ flocks from cheetahs. Cochard graduated from Fortune Academy in Indianapolis and has a degree in 3-D animation. She’s earning a masters degree from the University of Miami in Ohio in wildlife conservation and was sent to Africa to study large cats; last year, she went to Mexico to study sea lions and iguanas.