Anthropology major will do what it takes for dream

Aneta Bose, 20

Stony Brook University,

senior

Major: Anthropology

A FIVE-WEEK study- abroad program in a Madagascar rain forest was all it took for Aneta Bose to abandon the idea of a traditional career track.

Disregarding her parents' advice to study medicine or engineering, Bose decided to major in anthropology with the hope of becoming a primate conservationist, protecting some of the world's most threatened species and their habitats.

"It was the first time I felt challenged and at the same time inspired enough to devote my life to something," said Bose, a 20-year-old senior at Stony Brook University.

Now eight months away from graduation, Bose is worried about her job prospects and the expense of more schooling. Her career choice is a tough one to break into. And, she has seen the realities of the job market: Her older sister, a recent college grad with a psychology degree, is working part time in retail while applying to graduate school.

Bose, who grew up in public housing in the Bronx, also has the added pressure of having been born to Indian immigrant parents, whom she says she is expected to care for in their older years.

"My mother doesn't really know what anthropology is," she said. "When I first told them I wanted to work with animals they thought I was going to become a vet."

Bose's parents, however, said they want to make sure their daughter can provide for herself and her family in the future.

"I've always told my children, 'Don't stop studying. Make your future first and make money. Get a good job and then you can do whatever you want,' " said her mother, Shila Bose, 51.

Her daughter, however, is ready to do what it takes for the career of her dreams. Internships, part-time jobs and more school are all possible. She'll work hard, she said, for herself and for her parents.

"I think in the end, my parents are proud that their three children were able to even go to college," Aneta Bose said. "These are opportunities they never had. They know deep down we're here to do what we want to do, and we'll be able to take care of ourselves."