My name is Tatyana Simon. I graduated in 2017, simultaneously earning a diploma from Early College High School in Horry County, SC, and an associate degree from Horry-Georgetown Technical College. I returned to HGTC to get my Veterinary Assistant certification smack-dab in the middle of the COVID pandemic. Through it all, I’ve learned that life isn’t always as linear as you plan it.

Take us back to your initial experience with HGTC – Early College High School. What was that like for you?

Shell-shattering?!

I viewed Early College High as an opportunity for me to get ahead in life, a wish that both of my beloved grandmothers had instilled in me from an early age. Up until that point, school had always been easy for me. I had gotten good grades and never had to study too hard.

But like Dorothy arriving in Oz, I realized during my first college class that I was not in Kansas anymore! I had to teach myself a new way to learn so that these complex topics were still interesting and fun to me – especially trigonometry! I also worked during my high school/college years, and trying to balance work, home, and school life when you are only 16 or 17 years old can be really challenging without the proper support. But HGTC and Early College High both offered great support with their flexible scheduling and accessibility to their facilities. I was able to get extra schoolwork done before classes started because I didn’t have a first block. And HGTC’s cafes were my main study area because you can’t have brain power without coffee!

You say that your path was not a linear one. What do you mean by that?

Growing up, I always wanted to be a veterinarian. But going to a four-year college right after high school was not a financially good option for me at the time – and having financial freedom is important to me. So I took a few years off from school before returning to HGTC in 2020 to get my Veterinary Assistant certification. I had learned about a lot of the options that HGTC offered while at Early College, and I knew that its instructors and administration were always willing to help. It was that sense of community along with educational opportunities that matched my career interests that drew me back.

What was your favorite part of the Veterinary Assistant course?

When I first started the course, it was mainly online due to the pandemic. Fortunately, after a few weeks of virtual instruction, we were able to transition back into the classroom. From there, everything became hands-on. That’s the kind of classroom atmosphere that makes understanding veterinary concepts a lot easier, and the practice I got there makes the work I do today as a veterinary assistant at Carolina Forest Veterinary Hospital so much easier.

What is a typical workday like for you at Carolina Forest Veterinary Hospital?

First, I help the doctors by getting a patient’s history, learning about the client’s concerns, and updating vaccines. I also educate clients regarding any prevention or testing that their pets need to have. In the treatment area, I collect blood, urine, and fecal samples, as well as skin or ear cytology. I also hold the patients during the exam.

If I am not serving as a room technician for that day, I’m either on the phone following up with clients from previous days or assisting the doctor in surgery. (Surgery days are my absolute favorite!) I’ve learned that, as a veterinary assistant, you have many titles – nurse, phlebotomist, groomer, anesthetist... You name it, we do it!

It sounds like the education you received at Horry-Georgetown Technical College really prepared you for your next steps.

Getting my Veterinary Assistant certification has been my proudest accomplishment so far because it has opened so many other doors for me.

Since completion of my certification, I served as an intern at Kind Care Animal Hospital in Little River. Within one year, I was promoted to a veterinary technician position, where I was mentored by a wonderful lead tech and discovered my gift for handling shelter and aggressive animals. That led to an opportunity with Saint Frances Animal Center in Georgetown, where I learned that dog trainers are necessary to help rehabilitate many shelter animals prior to adoption. In my current position at Carolina Forest Veterinary Hospital, I work alongside other former students who were also trained at HGTC, and I’ve made a few dog trainer friends as well.

But the opportunities extend beyond my day-to-day work. I’ve attended Career Day at Conway Middle School to talk to students about what we do in the veterinary field. I’ve been able to shadow at K9 off-leash training in Myrtle Beach. And I’m looking forward to attending the Association of Professional Dog Trainers Convention in Kentucky in October.

You’re in the veterinary field, so we simply must know – tell us about your own pets.

I have a cat and two dogs. I rescued my cat Pebbles from Flip Side Sanctuary, a nonprofit organization in Tabor City. She turns three soon, and she has gone from feral porch kitty to sweet purr-box who loves her harness walks. Patches turned six this year. I’ve had him since he was weeks old, so he’s seen me grow from teenager to adult. He gets compared to the dog on Little Rascals all the time, but instead of a bullseye around his eye, he has half an eyebrow patch instead – hence his name. And Apollo is my brindle pitty. He is a rambunctious nut! He requires a lot of patience and compassion, and he’s the main reason I got interested in dog training.

Dog training… that’s a topic that keeps coming up. Is that a future career goal?

Yes, I’m currently studying Dog Obedience online at Penn Foster and will complete the training by the end of the summer. I’ve been amazed at how quickly dogs learn, how they know exactly which reaction causes special attention. The tools I’m learning in the program also allow me to better assist dogs that come into the vet hospital, especially ones that are nervous and don’t quite understand their environment yet. I’m able to make their experience a lot more comfortable. Hopefully this additional certification will allow me to still work my main job at Carolina Forest while also branching into owning my own business working with and training animals.

Any final advice for someone who may be considering starting something new at a technical college, like you did?

Life is too short to go to school for years just to find out that the job you wanted isn’t the most fulfilling. Trust your intuition about what makes you happy. Figure out what hobby you like, find a job similar to it, and shadow it. Then think Nike – just do it!