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"When we first met Smo' we knew she was special both on and off the field. Her ability to juggle classes and our intense fall and spring schedule was not lost on us.

- UC Davis head women's soccer coach Twila Kaufman

For most freshmen, surviving their first year at a university is an accomplishment in itself since it takes that long to adjust to the academic rigors and social obligations of college life. As a college neophyte, discovering one's career path often takes a back seat to creating the perfect class schedule, spending time with friends or attending as many social events as possible throughout the weekend.

Staying up late or sleeping in were two luxuries that defender Nicole Smolinski, unlike other college freshmen, rarely enjoyed since her daily schedule included classes, workouts with her women's soccer teammates, practices or games.

If you swing by campus throughout the inaugural weeks of the fall quarter, you will easily recognize UC Davis' newest students since it takes a few weeks to become familiar with the campus. While her first-year peers were busy trying to navigate from one building or lecture hall to another, Smolinski focused her efforts on maneuvering her way around a soccer field in an attempt to set up her teammates for a potential scoring opportunity, create that perfect passing lane, or avoid opposing players.

Unlike numerous students who chose to spend this past summer on vacation at various tropical locations, or at home raiding their family's refrigerator, Smolinski spent her summer break as an intern surrounded by cheetahs in their natural environment.

Needless to say, even though Smolinski lived the life of a college freshman last year, her experience was anything but typical.

In addition to the privilege of representing the school as a member of its women's soccer program, Smolinski also selected UC Davis due to its nationally respected academic programs.

"I was interested in veterinary medicine and thought the animal science program was a great way to prepare for graduate school. I started researching colleges during my sophomore year (in high school) with this in mind. That, and the opportunity to play soccer at a top Division I program led me to here," explained Smolinski.

"It was either UC Davis or Princeton."

Possessing a level of maturity far beyond her years, Smolinski's transition from high school to UC Davis was brief due to her unique situation as a student-athlete.

Before the 2013-14 academic year even started, UC Davis women's soccer already competed in a handful of official matches. Due to her team's workout and meeting schedule, the first week of classes did not seem as daunting to her since she was already comfortable juggling various commitments each day. From the moment she reported for preseason workouts, she was surrounded by teammates who tried to make her initial weeks on campus as smooth and hassle-free as possible.

Whether it was on the field, or in the classroom, Smolinski further embraced her UC Davis experience as the fall quarter, and 2013 season progressed. Shortly after the season concluded, she, like other animal science majors, began receiving various e-mails from academic advisors.

Included in these messages were various job openings, information about programs that allow UC Davis students to study abroad and internship opportunities.

"I did not meet the requirements for most positions. However, one opportunity caught my attention. When (athletics academic advisor) Amy Soud contacted me about this same internship, I decided to talk to my family and coach about this," Smolinski said.

Located in one hour north of Johannesburg, South Africa, the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Center sought college students to help breed and care for cheetahs. In addition to handling administrative tasks and maintaining the property, interns would assist local veterinarians on an assortment of medical procedures.

"We aspire to become the most desired program in the country for soccer players who aspire to become vets. UC Davis has one of the best vet schools in the nation and thought this was a phenomenal opportunity to receive hands-on experience before attending graduate school."

Added Kaufman, "When was the last time you met someone who handled a cheetah?"

Once she received blessings from her family and coaching staff, there was only one thing left to do.

"There was another program in Costa Rica that was alluring to my mom since that is a safer location to travel. Once I started applying, it hit me that I would have the opportunity to participate in a one-in-a-lifetime experience," said Smolinski.

Compared to a similar internship program in Costa Rica that piqued her family's interest, the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Center provided a unique opportunity - handling and caring for exotic animals, a specialty that Smolinski is interested in pursuing full-time after completing her formal education.

"I love to travel, but I have always done that with someone else," said Smolinski. "It did not hit me until two weeks before my flight that I would be on my own - even though approximately 30 students were also heading to the same location. As excited as I was, I also felt a little nervous."

After receiving a handful of shots, and battling a slew of emotions throughout the preceding weeks, June 20, the date of Smolinski's flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, finally arrived. Within a handful of days, she turned in her last final, completed her freshman year at UC Davis, returned home to Orange County, packed and prepared for her trip half-way around the world.

It was during this brief respite that Smolinski received one final word of (friendly) advice from her grandmother: "Johannesburg is really dangerous, they love blonde girls."

After a grueling flight to South Africa from Los Angeles, with an overnight layover in New York in-between, Smolinski soon boarded a bus with other like-minded students from around the world. After a three-hour ride to the Shingwedzi Cheetah and Wildlife Ranch (located on Wildlife Center property), an area so remote that GPS coordinates are provided on the De Wildt's Cheetah and Wildlife's official website to help visitors find their way, Smolinski arrived to her new, albeit temporary, home.

"Even though I was completely exhausted, I could not believe that I was actually (in South Africa). Throughout the ride to the ranch, all I could see were savannahs for miles. It felt as if "The Lion King" came to life," said Smolinski.

Throughout her first two days, students had an opportunity to rest, shake off any jet lag, participate in ice breakers, interact and learn more about one another before officially starting their internship.

Once official projects commenced, students were organized into various groups based upon personal interest and/or preference.

One group of conservation-centric individuals was interested in improving the ranch's infrastructure and surrounding environment. Another group focused their time and effort working, interacting and dealing with cheetahs. Within this group, dubbed "The Cheetah Project," another two teams were created. One cluster handled various administrative animal-related tasks, the other, which Smolinski was assigned to, solely consisted of pre-vet students.

The pre-vet group was the only one that was given the opportunity to watch cheetahs undergo surgery. Outside vets arrived to the ranch and performed gastroscopies - a procedure that helped veterinarians examine a cheetah's esophagus, stomach and internal organs with the help of a thin, flexible camera.

"We joined the doctors in the animal's enclosure and watch them sedate the cheetahs. I often had an opportunity to work alongside the doctors, monitor the animals and ask questions as the cheetah was being prepped for surgery," said Smolinski.

In addition to procedural preparation, Smolinski needed to remain acutely aware of what was taking place because doctors were known for quizzing interns. If she was not naming body parts or providing further detail on what took place before her eyes, Smolinski needed to explain what surgeries were taking place, the need for each procedure and what to expect throughout the process until the animal returned to its post-exam enclosure.

"Cheetahs are lean animals, the ones I handled were often my size, but a lot heavier since they are predatory animals," Smolinski said. "When I applied lice medication to one cheetah, I was able to feel its muscles and skin. That task was a bit scary because it was the first time I realized how sleek and powerful these gorgeous animals are - especially when you can see them looking at you up close.

"Needless to say, I was excited to work with these animals. I must admit, though, I wanted to learn as much about cheetahs as possible while I was there because I knew the doctors would test me whenever they had the chance. Since I am a second-year pre-vet student, I did not know as much terminology as some of the older students I worked alongside."

Even though the ranch focused its efforts on cheetah breeding and conservation, other wild animals, including giraffes, resided on the property. In addition to caring for animals born on site, outside animals that needed extra care, experienced unique or extreme medical situations visited De Wildt.

Another facet of Smolinski's experience involved the socialization of newly born cheetahs. Since most animals bred at the ranch spent their first few months around humans, she and her colleagues invested large amounts of time each day interacting with the newborns.

"In the morning, I would walk up to these cubs and hear them purr. We would clean their enclosure and help sanitize these two-month-old animals. By doing this, they became more comfortable spending time around people," said Smolinski.

During the weekend, the only free time available to interns, Smolinski and her colleagues organized day trips or simply spent time with one another. Since everyone was busy performing assigned tasks, or dealing with their group's respective responsibilities throughout the week, off-days provided the perfect opportunity to relax share experiences with anyone who was keen to listen.

Even though the ranch provided accommodations and food for all interns, weekends helped facilitate in-depth discussions by providing the block of distraction-free downtime needed to adequately share experiences gained from a hard week of work.

Smolinski's final adventures abroad included trips to Mozambique and Swaziland alongside her fellow interns. Due to the remote location of the Shingwedzi Cheetah and Wildlife Ranch, this weeklong trek provided everyone with their only opportunity to travel to nearby locations.

"After working with cheetahs, this was my only opportunity to take a vacation and experience local cultures firsthand," Smolinski explained.

And reflect on the events that took place throughout the preceding weeks.

"The surgeries were awesome, to participate in that was incredible. Working with the cubs was amazing; they were adorable and reminded me of my cat back home. Just knowing that I am helping an animal that will grow to become a great hunter in the wild was overwhelming. Everyone at the Center is helping this breed fight extinction, just thinking about that is humbling."

One portion of her organized outing included a visit to an orphanage in Swaziland, another highlight of her African experience.

"We donated soccer balls, which was something that struck a personal chord. At one point, I walked over and asked the children if I could play soccer with them. After I started taking penalty kicks, other people started to join us. What started with everyone running around and taking PKs for a few minutes turned into an activity that lasted almost two hours.

"It's amazing to see how one soccer ball can bring so much joy to so many people."

For Smolinski, this month-long adventure provided experiences that will last a lifetime, and reaffirmed what she already knew before boarding her flight weeks earlier at Los Angeles International Airport.

"Part of me wondered if I should focus my attention on working with domestic animals. Once I was (on the ranch), I wanted to make the most of every hands-on project and learn as much as I could.

There was something about helping an animal, especially one as exotic as a cheetah, that really appealed to me and made me realize that I want to specialize on working with exotics."