Confidence to Continue
by Madison Sinclair ~ Vet Assistant Class of 2019
As a senior at Lawrence County CTC in the Vet Assistant Program, when you ask, “What did you get out of LCCTC?”, my response is that, right now, I don’t think I can fully understand everything I’ve gained — but believe me, it has had a positive impact on my entire future and the benefits will be felt for a very long time! I CAN tell you that I will graduate with an advantage that my peers from our local high school will not have; along with my diploma, I have gained a trade.
In 9th grade, I decided to attend LCCTC so that I could get a had start on what I wanted to be: a Vet Tech. Growing up on a farm, I have always loved animals, and by enrolling Vet Assistant program, I knew I would gain experience. This was the opportunity I needed to take to be sure this was the path for me.
It was difficult leaving my high school friends at Lincoln, but my family was super-supportive. They said, “Everyone has their own unique journey to a career, and you need to blaze your own trail.” I listened to them and knew that the bonus of graduating with a skill was the path I wanted to take.
In the VA program, I have had hands-on experience in grooming dogs and cats, making basic lab tests, and understanding and applying medical terminology. I can identify various breeds of canine, feline and equine and surgical instruments, to boot! I have had the opportunity to visit the Shenango Animal Shelter and, as a founding member of the FFA, have organized fundraisers for competition at Penn State Main Campus. I have job shadowed at Rainbow Vet Clinic and have already added college credits to my resume with Dual Enrollment Math and Speech through Butler County Community College. I have applied many of the skills learned in VA while also learning the business of animal daycare and grooming. the soft skills and quality customer care are extremely important lessons I’ve learned for my future success. All of these amazing skills and friendships I have made during my journey here at LCCTC would not have been possible if I had stayed at my home school.
Thanks to the solid foundation my teacher Mrs. Yanak offered me, I now feel confident in my decision to continue my education beyond high school in the Veterinary Technican program at Vet Tech Institute in Pittsburgh in July. Compared to the other students just starting in their post-secondary education, I have prior knowledge in my field which will be invaluable during my continued learning process.
I am excited to find out if my journey will lead me to working with small or large animals — Who knows? What I do know is that no matter where I go, I will keep the lessons learned at LCCTC with me.
