June 3, 2016
In-Depth
Students discover calling in vet’s office BY MIKE STANFORD Editor-in-Chief
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Sophomore Lae Czarny walked into *their Sophomore Lae Czarny bedroom and saw their tarantula, Sylvester, walked into hiding in his cage *their with one bedroom of his legs broken off earlier this year. tarantula, and saw their Fear and shock soonin took Czarny Sylvester, hiding hisover cage as they hoped that Sylvester was still alive. with one of his legs broken They called for their father, Ken Czarny, and off year. told earlier him what this happened. Lae was relieved when heand said Sylvester would not die. Fear shock soon took Although Ken and Lae weren’t there to see over Czarny as they hoped it, Lae assumes that Sylvester’s leg got caught that Sylvester was still in the mesh canopy at the top of his cage, and alive. They called for he fell while trying to get it out.their Almost Ken immediately after and finding out Sylfather, Czarny, vester him was alive, Laehappened. hopped onto the comtold what puter to do research. They wanted to make Lae was relieved when he sure that losing a leg was normal for a taransaid Sylvester would Sylvester’s not tula, which it is. Eventually, leg grew back. die. Doing research on their pets is a normal Although Ken and Lae activity for Lae because they own a tarantuweren’t there to see it, Lae la, bearded dragon, guinea pig, two cats and four fish.
To read more of Executive Online Editor Amanda Stickels’ story about Lae and their pets, head to prospectornow.com.
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himself when he volunteered at that family just adopted a new puppy, so you get to see them go an animal hospital when he was 15 years old. through it all again.” Roberts was able to see firstDespite these depressing ashand both the rewarding and pects of her job, Nolan plans to go to veterinary school and even- gorier aspects of the job, which eventually allowed tually work him to begin his caas either a The best thing to reer knowing what residential take away from [the to expect. As a reveterinarian job] was learning of sult, he has a job or an animal physical what the job actually that he “can’t get enough of”.” therapist. consists of and still Miller hopes that Miller also loving it. he can one day say wants to go the same. More iminto veteriClare Nolan, senior portantly, however, nary mediis that he never loscine but is es sight of why he unsure of exactly which exact route he wanted to pursue the career in the first place. would take. However, he hopes “Without vets, I would not to incorporate working abroad have been able to spend as much into his career path at some time as I have been able to with point. According to Roberts, the my dogs,” Miller said. “And why best way to get into the field is not spread the love and make it possible for others to experience by working at an animal hospital early, like Miller and Nolan what I got to?” are doing. Roberts did the same
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WHO LET THE DOGS OUT? Senior Clare Nolan poses with a puppy at her job as a veterinary assistant at A Central North Animal Hospital. Nolan wants to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, and she is getting a head start in high school. (photo courtesy of Clare Nolan)
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Sophomore collects exotic pets *source prefers they/them pronouns *source prefers they/them pronouns
or senior Clare Nolan, working with animals comes naturally. Her family has fostered puppies throughout her life, so interaction with dogs has been a staple of her childhood. Last May, Nolan decided to take her passion one step further and got a job at A Central North Animal Hospital, where she now works roughly 26 hours a week as a veterinary assistant. In addition to Nolan, junior Mike Miller also works in the veterinary field. Both were inspired to become to pursue careers in veterinary medicine by childhood experiences with animals and are getting head-starts in high school. When Nolan first started at A Central North, she was still working her previous job as a lifeguard. However, the animal hospital quickly captivated her. “I knew I wanted to be there as much as I could,” Nolan said. “So I quit the lifeguarding job and decided, ‘Why would I keep working at a job that doesn’t really have anything to do with my future when [the animal hospital] pretty much is my future?’” For Miller, applying for an internship at an animal hospital was the result of career exploration. He wanted to pursue a path that would not only be enjoyable for him but also one that would make an impact on others. In veterinary medicine, he hopes he has found both. Miller credits emergency care and preventive medicine for the longterm
health of his former dog, Too Sweet, and his current dog, Chloe. He believes that becoming a veterinarian would allow him to do the same for others. Miller began his internship, which was arranged through the District 214 internship program (see more about this program’s increasing popularity on page 3), in February. He shadows Dr. Humphrey Roberts three days a week at two of the practices he owns, the Arlington Golf and the Wheeling Animal Hospitals. Miller was unsure of what to expect at first, but he soon found that his internship is, as he puts it, “really freaking cool.” On a typical day, Miller follows Roberts as he treats animals, works with clients and performs surgery, which is the part of the job that Miller believes is most interesting. Because he interns after school and most surgeries are in the morning, Miller usually does not get to see animals going under the knife. He was able to watch for the first time on a day off from school and was instantly hooked by a side of the job he did not even consider before his internship. Nolan’s responsibilities are more wide-ranging because she is a paid employee; she does everything from preparing vaccines to walking nervous dogs to answering phones. Going into her job for the first time, she did not know what to expect, but what surprised her most was how fast-paced and hands-on the job is. However, these surprises did not lessen her desire to become a veterinarian. “The best thing to take away from [the job] was learning of what the job actually consists of and still loving it,” Nolan said. While Nolan does enjoy most parts about her job, there is one thing she finds difficult to stomach. Around the time she first starting working at A Central North, a family came in with a goldendoodle puppy named Lexi that was just like any other. Nolan was there as they kept bringing in the dog for routine appointments as Lexi grew up, and she was also there when Lexi was diagnosed with lymphoma. Lexi eventually had to be put down, which was heartbreaking for both the family and the workers at the animal hospital. “You watched the dog grow up and then fall at the same time,” Nolan said. “I know it’s the circle of life and things happen the way they happen. [But]
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