By Chris Anthony

Far from the rolling plains of Alabama, the tiny mountain community of Haines, Alaska, (population 1,700) might be the last place you would expect to hear a hearty “War Eagle” as an eagle soars overhead.

But that is slowly changing with Gabe Hallmark in town.

The 2025 Auburn University graduate is an avian curator at the American Bald Eagle Foundation, a nonprofit raptor center and natural history museum located in Haines.

It’s a dream job for Hallmark. The animal sciences graduate spent years as a volunteer and student worker at the Auburn University Raptor Center, falling in love with birds of prey and learning to care for them.

And with Haines being a popular port of call for cruises, Auburn Family members cruising to Alaska and visiting the American Bald Eagle Foundation are noticing the avian curator sporting an Auburn hat is a familiar face.

“When I interned here last year, I had this funny experience where several different people pulled out their phones and showed me a picture of myself holding the eagle on the field during Auburn gamedays,” Hallmark said.

If Hallmark is becoming something of an Auburn celebrity in Haines, it was made possible by philanthropy. Because without the generosity of the Auburn Family and the power of scholarships, Hallmark almost certainly wouldn’t be in Alaska training raptors.

Rural beginnings

Growing up on a family farm outside Warrior, Alabama, and being involved with Future Farmers of America in high school, Hallmark was always interested in pursuing a college degree in an agricultural field, which made Auburn a natural fit.

He may have had to do some convincing to his family full of Alabama fans, but they understood. And that first campus tour may have played a part, too.

“We all know that whenever you first visit Auburn, it’s pretty much the only place you want to go,” Hallmark said.

When he arrived on campus as a College of Agriculture student in 2021, he threw himself at every student organization he could: Collegiate Cattlemen and Cattlewomen, Block and Bridle, Young Farmers, Poultry Science Club — you name it, Hallmark did it.

He was able to immerse himself in his studies and the campus experience thanks to the scholarship support he received. Significant support came from the Jefferson County Farmers Federation, as well as the Ronnie L. and Betty J. Tapp Endowed Scholarship, which the couple generously started through a real estate gift and have bolstered through a future planned gift.

That support allowed Hallmark to explore his interests in a way that he wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. This ultimately led Hallmark to the Auburn University Raptor Center, where he logged 2,000 volunteer hours before being hired as a student worker.

Hallmark had a key role in training the center’s avian ambassadors, and he fell in love with presenting the raptors to the public.

“That’s when I realized this is what I want to do,” Hallmark said. “It’s a great feeling seeing someone’s face light up when they see a Golden eagle for the first time and they get to learn something new about these animals.”

Launching his career

While interning with the American Bald Eagle Foundation in 2024, Hallmark impressed enough to be offered a contract as an avian curator.

Now, he’s spending his days much like he did at the Raptor Center, training birds of prey and presenting them to the public. He’s even brought a little bit of Auburn to Alaska, with Louden Wilson, a junior majoring in pre-vet animal sciences, joining him as an intern this summer.

One of the most gratifying parts of Hallmark’s job has been training a Siberian eagle owl named Ahsoka, who came to the American Bald Eagle Foundation as a baby. She was a little skittish at first, but during the socialization process, Hallmark noticed she showed a keen interest when he was watching “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” one day.

“The minute the music started playing, she poked her head out and then came over and sat with me to watch the entirety of it,” he said. “When I turned it off, she went back to her carrier. The next day, when she wouldn’t come out, we watched ‘A New Hope.’ She’s seen all of them now.”

It was only fitting that the “Star Wars”-obsessed owl is named after Ahsoka Tano, a character in several spin-off series with whom she bears a resemblance.

This fall, Hallmark will once again get to experience the Alaska Bald Eagle Festival, the country’s largest gathering of bald eagles where thousands descend on the Chilkat River Valley to feast on a late salmon run.

Hallmark’s Alaskan adventure is off to quite the start, and it’s all been made possible by the donor support he received at Auburn.

“There’s no way I would have had time to volunteer at the Raptor Center without the scholarship support,” he said. “I would be in a completely different field if it wasn’t for that. I’m so thankful for the scholarships because they are the reason I’m here in Alaska being able to do what I love.”

Learn more about estate and planned gifts at auburngiving.org/estate or by emailing plannedgiving@auburn.edu or calling 334-844-7375.