Meet the Crew: Zibilianu Daniel Rudolf, alumni

As an exchange student thousands of miles from home, Zibilianu Daniel Rudolf found both welcoming and familiarity in Adventure Crew.

During the 2017-2018 school year, Daniel, now 22, attended the Zoo Academy as an exchange student from Romania. That turned out to be a highlight of his high school years, but at first he felt a bit disoriented being so far from his home country. One of his teachers, Katie Kemme, told him about Adventure Crew.

“I always had a deep connection with the natural world, (was) always seeking new adventures and being outside for long periods of time, since a fragile age,” he said. “I was lucky to have a huge forest near my home in Romania, and I was able to spend whole days wandering, climbing and connecting with nature. There I developed an appreciation towards how an ecosystem is working, (and) how animals and plants and all living things are connected in one way or another.”

Excited to relive those experiences in a new environment, he came out with the Crew – and was hooked. Each adventure offered the chance to get to know his classmates better and to make new friends through their shared interests and experiences. Even now, several years later and separated by an ocean, some of them remain in touch. 

“Nothing separates a friendship that has been made paddling on the same kayak down the not- so-turbulent Little Miami River,” he said.

He also enjoyed the new and exciting experiences that came with each Crew outing.

“If one time we were scavenging for fossils on a hike through Cincinnati Nature Center, another time we were racing down the slopes of Perfect North on a snowboard,” he recalls. “It does sound like a dream, doesn’t it?”

While he loved all of the adventures that took him and his friends out in nature, ice skating on Fountain Square created a special memory.

“Since I was away from home, sometimes I missed my family and friends, especially during the Christmas season,” he said. On the skating adventure, “the atmosphere was surreal. After we stepped, or slid, onto the ice rink, it started snowing. As I watched the snow fall, with the huge skyscrapers of Downtown Cincinnati in the background and festive music playing, I was feeling much better about being here, with my new friends and host family.”

Although he was only in Adventure Crew for a year, his time with us had a lasting impact. Since returning home to Romania, he has explored more and more places, taking hikes throughout the Carpathian Mountain range and to the Black Sea. He has also visited the forest close to his home more often, bringing back childhood memories. 

“In a way, my time with the Crew made me realize how deeply I was connected with nature, and it brought back this feeling, for which I am to this day thankful for them,” he said.

Since his return to Romania, Daniel graduated high school and is halfway through veterinary college. He said the hardest part of that training is still ahead, as he’ll be putting what he’s learned so far to practice in clinics. But all that hard work will lead him to his dream of becoming an exotic and wild animal veterinarian. If all goes as planned, he’ll finish school by summer 2025.

Aside from school, Daniel loves traveling throughout Romania, which he strongly recommends to visitors for its natural experiences and untouched wilderness. 

“It has so much to offer, such as breathtaking views from atop of the Moldoveanu Peak, which is the highest one in Romania, or paddling on the endless rivers of the Danube Delta accompanied by hundreds of different bird species,” he said.

He and his girlfriend plan to travel around Europe this summer. Much like during his time with the Crew, he sees the upcoming trip as an opportunity to learn and explore. 

“Through Adventure Crew, you can break through your comfort bubble,” he said. “You can experience all sorts of different activities that take you out of the busy city streets and bring you onto the paths of the forest. Crew can give city kids a chance to try themselves out in different ventures that otherwise would be very hard for them to achieve.”