UCCS alum Zita Quentin has successfully balanced a thriving career in financial software consulting with a deep passion for wildlife photography, capturing stunning images of big cats all over the world.
And perhaps by serendipitous coincidence, one of her favorite photography experiences includes a trip to South America to photograph a beloved mountain lion, the same species as the UCCS mascot.
Zita said that she saw numerous mountain lions, however, the most emotional and unforgettable opportunity to photograph and track the one-eyed female puma known as Blinka came on the last day of a trip to Torres del Paine National Park in southern Chilean Patagonia in March of 2023.
“She lost an eye when she was a cub, so she is a fantastic example of strength and perseverance,” Zita said. “Our trackers found Blinka and her two cubs during the late afternoon golden hour. They were just waking up and they started to move. We were tracking them probably for an hour and a half until we totally lost the light.”
Her journey as a photographer started in 1979 when her grandmother gifted her a simple Russian camera.
“I took my little camera, which I still have now, on trips and just played with it,” Zita said. “I got my first serious digital camera in 2008, and I continued with travel photography.”
By 2013, she had assembled more photography gear and delved into wildlife photography.
“When I went on my first safari in 2016, I got the safari bug on that trip in Kenya, and after that it’s just been ongoing,” Zita explained, while also mentioning that her childhood in Hungary was one of teddy bears and stuffed lions and tigers.
“I was never into Barbies,” she laughed.
And although her passion for photography has taken her all over the world, Zita started out as a language teacher teaching Russian and Hungarian to soldiers in the United States Special Forces in Massachusetts. That work continued at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs.
“I love language, and I wish I could practice it more but sadly I realized I couldn’t make a living off teaching,” she said.
From there, she took on another career, earning multiple degrees at UCCS. She leverages her triple MBA degrees in Finance, Accounting and Information Systems in her career as a financial software consultant and has worked with major corporations such as Oracle, Quantum Corporation and Philips.
Zita has been working independently since 2007, implementing Oracle software for various companies.
“I don’t think I could have done that without my studies at UCCS,” she says, reflecting on her career progression.
Zita credits UCCS with giving her a solid educational foundation for her career success. She specifically remembers support from retired Professor Kirk Wilcox in the College of Business as being instrumental in her academic and professional development.
“I had a great relationship with him, and I learned a tremendous amount from him,” she said.
Zita was one of 12 Silver Graduates to participate in the 2024 fall commencement ceremony at UCCS. The program recognizes alumni who graduated 25 years ago and highlights how they helped build the foundation of what UCCS has become today.
“Twenty-five years flew by,” she said. “I can’t believe it. It was awesome – the energy; the vibe; the graduation. I’m so glad I did it.”
Zita said she hopes to engage more with the UCCS community, possibly through talks and exhibitions, to highlight the importance of wildlife conservation.
“With photography, I’d like to raise awareness about endangered species and specifically cat species that are just disappearing right now in front of our eyes,” she said.