Seneca RED Fall 2021 Alumni Magazine - 31

Preparing new grads
Supporting the next generation
of veterinary technicians
directly with animals, she works with conviction
knowing the wide scale impact her role has on the
industry, hospitals, pets and owners.
" Working as a technician in a single practice,
I could touch the lives of around 20 animals a day.
Now, by putting the right people in the right places, I
have a national reach in helping animals across the
country, which is what I was passionate about from the
get-go, " she said.
Ms. Nelson is determined to ensure veterinary techSHERRY
NELSON IS GIVING BACK to Seneca's next generation
of veterinary technicians.
As talent acquisition manager at VetStrategy, a business
management organization that enables veterinary
teams to focus on medicine, Ms. Nelson recruits graduates
and places them in animal hospitals across Canada.
" As a recruiter, I want to make sure students get
placed in great co-op placements and get a great support
network, " she said. " Seneca has a great program.
They turn out great graduates, so I want to make sure
we stay connected and potentially employ as many
grads as possible at our hospitals. "
Ms. Nelson credits Seneca for providing her with a
firm foundation 22 years ago and continues to support
Seneca's Veterinary Technician (VTE) program. By
piloting new ideas and programs with faculty, she is
helping to expand their network of hospitals and better
understand the skills they are looking for in graduates.
Prior to her current role, Ms. Nelson worked as a
registered veterinary technician for 13 years. Her first
role with VetStrategy was as operations director, overseeing
multiple hospitals. Though she no longer works
nicians are recognized and well-supported. They not
only face burnout and compassion fatigue, but they
often do not receive the rewards that correlate with
their heavy workload and performance. " My end goal is
that they get the respect, pay and benefits they
deserve, " she said.
As the veterinary industry evolves, Ms. Nelson is
staying current on job trends and finding new opportunities
for technicians.
" The sky is the limit, " Ms. Nelson said. " With the
foundational knowledge veterinary technicians have,
there is a ton of opportunities for them - even I'm
learning about them every day. There are opportunities
I didn't even know existed. "
The sky is
the limit.
RED 2021
31
PHOTO: IAN PATTERSON
Seneca RED Fall 2021 Alumni Magazine

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