"I initially pursued a pre-health track because I wanted to help people. Now that I'm working to become a teacher and training service dogs, I realize I'm still able to accomplish that goal."

When Emma Feld '26 started at Bucknell, she was training 20 hours a week with the women's swimming & diving team, studying for biology exams and firmly set on becoming a doctor. But balancing the demands of a Division I athlete's schedule with a demanding course load was a big shift from high school.

To ease the burden, she decided to swap a STEM course for an education class. This decision unknowingly set her on a very different path.

"I switched to an early childhood education class, and it just felt like a better fit for me," says Feld, a New York native. Feld decided to take another education course during the spring semester, where she learned how to design a curriculum and teach in a preschool classroom. "It was a really neat experience to have," she says. "Being in a classroom hooked me and inspired me to rethink my career path." Soon after, Feld changed her major to early childhood education.

Another turning point came when Feld met Megan Leavy, a chemical engineering academic assistant who volunteers with Susquehanna Service Dogs (SSD), a local organization that raises puppies to assist individuals who need support. The dogs undergo specialized training to help their partners with specific tasks like navigating crowded places, picking up dropped items and operating light switches.

Feld, a lifelong animal lover, was eager not only to get involved herself but also to engage other Bucknell students in supporting the program. She partnered with Levy to start the Susquehanna Service Dogs Club at Bucknell. Over her first two years leading the club, Feld grew its membership and organized fundraising events like puppy bingo to support SSD's mission. She also assisted in raising Leavy's service-dog-in-training, SSD Java, and attended summer classes to become certified to raise service-dogs-in-training.

With Emma Feld '26's training, Martin, a black Labrador, will be ready to provide specialized support to those in need. Photo by James T. Giffen

"SSD assistance dogs give people the confidence to live more independently and do things they didn't think were possible," Feld says. "These dogs really change lives."

This year, Feld and her friend, Sarah Jordan '26, are co-raising Martin on campus, a partnership that allows them to share responsibilities and work together toward a common goal. "Co-raising is really beneficial to the puppy as well because it provides them with different experiences with different people," Feld says. "The dog has to get used to being around different people and environments, because eventually when it goes to a lifetime partner, it will have to adjust to being with someone new."

Two other Bucknell students are co-raising another service-dog-in-training, Martin's brother, Douglas.

Raising service dogs as a college student is not an easy task, but it's certainly a rewarding one. "Not only do you have to focus on the basic training of the puppy, like the potty training and reinforcing good behaviors, but also at a level that's more advanced than training a regular dog," Feld says.

Looking back, Feld sees a common thread in her journey. "I initially pursued a pre-health track because I wanted to help people," she says. "Now that I'm working to become a teacher and training service dogs, I realize I'm still able to accomplish that goal."