I have wanted to be in the veterinary field for as long as I could remember. When I was around 8 years old, I was asked the question, ‘What do you want to become when you grow up?’ I knew it had to deal with animals and thought, why not go into the veterinary field? Over time I researched what it was really like and took my opportunities seriously. Once I knew this was the career choice for me, I instantly got involved with as much as I could. Throughout my high school years, I have done over three SAE’s (supervised agricultural experience) outside of school hours to pet-sit a friend's dog which includes feeding, walking, giving him a bath, and anything else necessary for the pet's care. I was in two veterinary science classes, the same teacher being my FFA advisor. I went to the state competition and won 13th place in the veterinary science comp. in 2022. I went again in 2023 when it became more popular and placed in a three way tie for 48th out of 231 individuals, beating my past score. In my senior year I achieved my Veterinary Assistant certification. Shortly after graduating, I interned at a vet clinic and shadowed for over 50 hours, got a letter of recommendation by a CVT, watched many surgeries happen and even witnessed my first euthanasia along with so many more experiences all while I am working a part-time job at a dog grooming salon as a dog bather. Now I have even more experience with dogs as I have trained 3 dogs to be well-mannered pets. I currently work at as a dog day-care attendant and help with cleaning up after the dogs, providing enrichment, and making sure everyone is happy, healthy, and safe in their environment. Learning and growing as a person in getting as much experience as I could to know this is what I wanted to do I think is crucial, especially in this field where it can be very hard to get into. For me, it serves a purpose in my life. I like to take every opportunity I get as a learning experience. If something doesn't work, I try again and learn from it. I believe this is a great way to gain skills and become a better human being. To hold such passion especially in a job like this with high demand, I believe I will become a helpful addition within the veterinary community and fulfill my life long dream of becoming a veterinary technician.