From Backyard Bugs to Museum Halls: Tanith Huggins Sets Course for NC State

Tanith Huggins has spent her life chasing insects, studying fossils, and racing horses, and now she’s headed to North Carolina State University to bring it all together.

A recent graduate of both Beaufort County Early College High School and Beaufort County Community College, Huggins earned an Associate in Arts and an Associate in Science alongside her high school diploma. She’ll begin her studies in zoology at NC State this spring, with plans to minor in entomology and paleontology.

“I’m trying to be the best museum worker you can buy,” Huggins said with a laugh. “Everywhere has museums. I want to be in a field where I can find a job in a lot of places.”

Her dream of working in a natural science museum started early. As a child, Huggins explored the outdoors with curiosity and developed a passion for bugs and reptiles. Nature documentaries and visits to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh fueled her interests in paleontology.

She originally considered a geology major, but ultimately chose zoology for its broader career paths. “Geology is more about oil companies,” she said. “I didn’t want to end up working there, even though it’s a good career.”

At NC State, Huggins will be surrounded by family. Her sister-in-law and two brothers are alumni, with one brother now teaching microbiology at the university. “It kind of just happened,” she said of the family connection. “We didn’t grow up in Raleigh or anything, but now everyone seems to be there.”

Thanks to the dual enrollment structure of Beaufort CCC’s early college program, Huggins will transfer with nearly all of her general education requirements already completed. “Early college is really helpful,” she said. “It got my feet wet for college classes in general. I’ll go right into major-related coursework, like animal anatomy and ecology.”

Outside of academics, Huggins is an accomplished equestrian. Since the age of nine, she’s competed in western pleasure and gaming events like barrel racing and pole bending on her horses Lady and Tigger.

“He also likes to drink sweet tea out of a cup,” she said of Tigger. “He can grab it with his bottom teeth.”

That bond has been earned over years of trust along with a few tumbles. “Tigger’s fallen on me and the whole bit. He got up in three seconds, and I was fine,” she said. “I know my animal, and I trust my animal.”

At Beaufort CCC, Huggins also served as a student ambassador, a role that helped her grow in public speaking and leadership. “You want to be that person that people can come up to as a representative of the college, that person who looks friendly,” she said.

While her heart is set on museum work—possibly paleoentomology—Huggins is open to wherever her career takes her. “It just depends on what life puts on my plate.”

From backyard bugs to ancient fossils, she’s stepping into her next adventure with confidence and curiosity.