This year, two seniors, Gracielynn McKibbon and Amber Pennington, will complete their paths in the Veterinary Science program and continue into the field.

While in the veterinary science program, they took all classes required in the pathway to be able to work at the clinic. These classes include Principles of Veterinary Science, Animal Science, and Advanced Animal Science. This year, they are both enrolled in the Veterinary Science Capstone, and both work at Kirk’s Vet Clinic in Orleans.

What Pennington and McKibbon do at the clinic varies, depending on the day.

“Some days I just clean and refill prescriptions in the back, along with shadowing appointments, and other days, like Tuesdays, I can assist Dr. Kirk with surgeries and give vaccination shots,” said Pennington.

Pennington has learned many skills while working at the clinic, including listening skills.

“One important skill would have to be my listening skills. Listening is very important for anything people do in their everyday lives, but it’s especially important when you are trying to figure out a solution to a problem a patient is having. Sometimes, even in the short stories the owners tell us, they can give plenty of information that can be used to figure out the causes of said issues,” said Pennington.

McKibbon and Pennington have similar reasons for why they decided to choose this career.

“I chose this as my career because at a young age, I had a love for animals, and when I was in the third grade, I decided that I wanted to be a veterinarian. Since then, I have not really changed what I wanted to do. I definitely knew this was my pathway after I started interning at Kirk’s Vets Office,” said McKibbon.

“I chose this career pathway because I have always had a strong love for animals, like most who choose this pathway. I originally wanted to go into something with humans because, for the people who know me, know I am a people pleaser at times. I also want to help people in any way I can, but I wasn’t sure how I felt being a doctor for humans or a doctor with screaming kids for 7-8 hours a day. That’s when my Agriculture Teacher, Mr. Scott, introduced the world of Vet Techs to me. I figured this would be perfect because now I can spend my day helping or comforting people and animals,” said Pennington.

Many challenges come with this career, such as having to control the roller coaster of emotions that come with treating sick animals, but McKibbon has another challenge on top of it. She was diagnosed with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), a disorder that affects the body’s connective tissues, causing symptoms like joint hypermobility, chronic pain, and easy bruising, earlier this year.

“This has been a hard change in my life. Now that I know I have this, it explains the pain I get. Knowing what I have now makes it easier to manage my pain. This is a genetic disorder, so I will have this for the rest of my life. I think this is one of the biggest things I will be facing in this career,” said McKibbon.

McKibbon plans to work in the field as a Veterinary Technologist, but has not decided what college she wants to go to yet.

Pennington plans to go to the Vet Tech Institute in Indianapolis, Indiana,  where she will graduate after two years as a Veterinary Technician. She plans to work in a clinic near Paoli and hopes to open her own grooming business as a side hustle.

McKibbon and Pennington both offered advice for those who also wanted to pursue a career in veterinary science.

“Some advice I would give to others wanting to take this pathway would be to take the time and ask questions, take notes, and study as much as you can. It’s not hard unless you just give up. So don’t give up on yourself and keep pushing yourself, you will get there if you believe in yourself,” said McKibbon.

“The advice I would give others, even if they aren’t going into this field, is to remember to take a moment and breathe. Things get tough for everyone, and as long as you give it your all, things will eventually turn out okay in the end. You got this!” said Pennington.