Tiye

In 11th grade, I took a veterinary science class at a different school, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I’ve had plenty of amazing teachers, many subjects I found fun that definitely were not (like AP Calculus), and all sorts of experiences in clubs that could be classed as better, but somehow this topped them all. It opened a door to so many gateways I felt would take years to achieve.

Through this class I got my first job. Granted, it was just a 6-month paid internship where I did more learning than work, but a job is a job. I got to work at Banfield Pet Hospital and was given the role of “Pet Care Assistant.” To a high schooler who dreamed of working at a hospital like this, this title made me feel like I had already made the first step into my future.

Throwing on the same Grayson Tech scrubs every other day was thrilling, and knowing I’d go to work to clean up after the animals and practice giving shots was just short of exhilarating. I learned how to restrain dogs and cats, trim their nails, give them vaccines, and even do blood and fecal work. It was quite literally like nothing I’d ever experienced yet felt so familiar. I was under the care of a registered veterinary technician named Lorena, and we can all thank Lorena for helping me get to where I am now. She showed me the ins and outs of working with vets, taking notes of patients, and setting up everything at the beginning and end of every shift.

Not only did I get to experience a job while in that class, but I got to experience watching actual surgeries as well. Every Wednesday, my teacher would have a vet and vet techs come to our surgical suite - yes, our classroom had a surgical suite - to do spays and neuters that we could watch. Seeing those happen before us was such a gross and interesting experience, but it never deterred me.

In a way, it could be said the class itself wasn’t the best thing to happen to me, but what came of it was. All of it has taught me one thing: these small experiences pushed me into ending up here, and I wouldn’t have done high school any other way.