“She just seems like she’s got a good head on her shoulders,” Lowry says of LaMont. “She’s taking the steps she needs to take in order to make this dream come true.”

That dream, however, will require cash. LaMont’s not kidding herself when it comes to income potential. To pay the bills, she plans to launch a bird toy business. And before any of that can happen, she’s got her college education to finish. Her major requires her to focus on three academic areas, and she’s chosen Spanish, nonprofit leadership and marketing.

For now, the Mankato Area Companion Bird Club is trying to raise money to fund its avian rescue efforts. Each bird taken in needs to be checked out by a veterinarian who specializes in birds. The nearest one is in Bloomington, and it can take several hundred dollars — after checkups and tests — to get a bird ready to adopt out.

A lot of busywork, sure. But LaMont couldn’t be happier.

“They have such personalities,” she says. “And it’s so much fun ... Once I left the pet store, I knew I wanted to help birds.”