Concurrent MSSW/VSW Graduate
Biography
What is your undergraduate degree in? Where did you earn and it and when?
- Bachelor's Degree from Middle Tennessee State University
- Major: Animal Science, Equine Concentration
- Minors: Entrepreneurship, Psychology
- Associate's Degree from Columbia State Community College
- Major: Veterinary Technology
What brought you to the VSW-CP?
- It was the perfect opportunity for me to combine my interest in veterinary medicine and mental health!
Where did you complete your field placement?
- I completed my concentration year field placement (OL concentration) at Hands On Nashville
Where will you be working and what will you be doing?
- I will be working at Animalia in Franklin TN. I will have a role that includes developing programs to support staff and clients as well as oversee clinic communications and community outreach. I will also be the point person for our team of DVMs taking care of their schedules, organizing regular meetings, etc.
How did you get this job?
- This is the same clinic where I have worked for the last 7 years. I was able to work with my bosses to develop a role that allows me to incorporate my new skills/knowledge and draws on my experience and institutional knowledge to serve the clinic and fulfill my career interest.
Do you have any long term goals or dreams?
- SO MANY!!!!!
- I would like to further develop my mediation skills and utilize them within my practice and also others one day. I might also want to develop a program to allow other practices to develop their own mediation practices.
- I would love to develop an online platform that has ever growing content to which veterinary professionals could subscribe to gain tools, knowledge, and skill to utilize in their own practices in the areas of staff wellness, compassion fatigue prevention and intervention, healthy conflict practices and mediation, and client support for grief and bereavement.
- I would like to do outreach/consulting for veterinary practices, rescue groups, shelters, etc. to help them develop programs to support their staff and clients.
What was the most rewarding part of the VSW Certificate Program for you?
- I am not exaggerating when I say that the VSW certificate program is what got me through my MSSW degree. I truly loved the material and the experience of going through the process. I didn't initially understand why Mediation was a required course, but now I totally see the value and I am SO glad to have had this initial exposure to the topic. It has been so amazing to meet and learn about others in the program and discover all the different ways that VSW can be applied. The intensive was a remarkable experience, and I'm so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to be in the same space with so many remarkable people who share my passion for this field!
- I have so much gratitude for this program and the people in it!
