On any given morning, Hannah Reynolds ’23 climbs into her state-issued truck and heads into the Ruby Mountains of eastern Nevada, a rugged stretch of terrain covering more than 10,000 square miles.
As a Nevada state game warden, she patrols vast public lands, checks hunting tags, collaborates with biologists, and investigates wildlife violations. Some days are spent boating. Others are spent tracking hunters deep in the backcountry.
“I feel very lucky and blessed to have that position,” Reynolds said.
The job is demanding. It required months of testing, academy training, and fieldwork before she could patrol on her own. When she received the call offering her the position in Area 10, the Ruby Mountains region, “I was so excited that I cried,” she recalled.
But just a few years earlier, Reynolds wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted to do. That clarity began to take shape at St. Ambrose University.
A passion rooted in the outdoors
Reynolds’ love of the outdoors began long before college.
“I’d always had a passion for conservation growing up – hunting, fishing, being outside,” the central Iowa native said. “That was my main thing.”
She grew up along the Mississippi River, spending time outdoors and participating in conservation-focused activities. But when the lacrosse recruit arrived at St. Ambrose in 2019, she entered as a graphic design major.
By mid-way through her first year, she knew she needed to switch her major.
"I felt an inner calling, like this just wasn't right," Reynolds explained.
Discovering her path at St. Ambrose
Reynolds credits St. Ambrose with giving her the space—and the support—to pivot.
The university’s structure allowed her to build meaningful relationships with professors and advisors. From there, her path became clearer.
“I really enjoyed Ambrose’s small class sizes because I was able to ask questions,” she said. “You go to office hours and be one-on-one with the people who are knowledgeable and teaching.”
Those conversations helped her re-evaluate what she truly enjoyed. She switched her major to biology and later added a minor in environmental studies.
“I switched over to biology and absolutely loved it,” she said. “I love the sciences, natural sciences, and I knew I wanted to do something in conservation.”
One course in particular stood out: environmental ethics.
“Environmental ethics was one of my favorite courses,” Reynolds said. “It helped me think about other people’s perspectives.”
The course, THEO-300 Saving Nature, challenges students to examine environmental crises through theological ethics, asking them to reflect on how faith and personal responsibility shape responses to ecological issues. Students ultimately develop and apply their own environmental ethics to a real-world issue.
That perspective now plays a critical role in her law enforcement career.
“Every time I interact with someone, I have to think about their perspective,” she said.
She also points to courses such as ecology, genetics, environmental science, and diversity of living systems as foundational to the work she does today.
“I’m able to chat with my biologists about all of these topics,” she said. “And we can think about ways that they are then able to manage different populations.”
Learning by doing
Beyond the classroom, Reynolds leaned into every opportunity to gain hands-on experience. Each summer, she pursued roles related to conservation. Her first internship with the Muscatine County Conservation Board helped her discover she thrives outside, not behind a desk.
“That’s when I realized I don’t do well in an office environment,” she said. “I need to be outside. I need to be working, talking with people, and working with my hands.”
She later served as an AmeriCorps education intern at Nahant Marsh in Davenport, where she taught children about conservation and wildlife. The experience broadened her understanding of the field.
“It was awesome,” she said, “but I enjoyed getting my hands dirty and being out there rather than having to be an educator.”
She also completed an environmental capstone at St. Ambrose, studying endangered and invasive plant species across Scott County—an experience that strengthened her research and data collection skills.
“It really rounded off my experience,” Reynolds said.
Through those internships and faculty mentorship, Reynolds gradually built a résumé and a sense of confidence that prepared her for something bigger.
From Iowa to Nevada
After graduation, Reynolds moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, seeking experience and adventure. She briefly tried environmental consulting but realized that it was not her calling.
“I worked for about two months, and it wasn’t the right fit,” she said.
She transitioned into invasive species management through the Great Basin Institute in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a role that connected her with the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
When a game warden opening became available, she applied. The hiring process was long and competitive, involving physical testing, written exams, interviews, and completion of the Nevada State Police Academy and field training.
Now, just over a year into the role, Reynolds patrols her assigned unit in the Ruby Mountains. Her work blends wildlife enforcement, investigations, public education, and collaboration with other law enforcement agencies.
“My favorite part is just talking with the public,” she said. “I chatted once with some people deer hunting who were from Iowa. What a small world.”
Every day looks different. And that’s exactly how she likes it.
A foundation that lasts
During her time at Ambrose, Reynolds learned how to ask questions and reflect on what truly mattered to her.
“I don’t even know how many conversations I had with my professors and my academic advisors,” she said. “They provided me with so many ideas.”
Her advice to students echoes that lesson.
“I think what you love to do is more worthwhile than chasing money,” Reynolds said. “Think deeply about the way you can give back to this world.”
For Reynolds, St. Ambrose was the place where uncertainty became clarity, where a student unsure of her major became a biology graduate ready to protect wildlife across thousands of miles of mountain terrain.
And it all started with a campus that felt like home.
“I couldn’t have been more thankful for my experience at Ambrose,” Reynolds said. “It really helped me find my path.”
Ready to find your path at St. Ambrose?
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