In Socorro Independent School District’s veterinary technology program, students like Adaly Rivera are not only getting a jump start on a career in animal care services but also learning a valuable lesson about giving back to the community.
Rivera, a junior at Pebble Hills High School, and students in the Advancement Via Individual Determination program, or AVID, are helping to collect donations for the school’s new Leo’s Pet Pantry. Items such as dog and cat food, cat litter, dog houses, harnesses, collars, and leashes are just a few of the supplies that students are collecting and will be available to far east El Paso pet owners who need a helping hand.
“I love the idea of the food pantry because it just helps a lot with animals who may need more than they can be provided for,” Rivera said. “It also just gives the students a bunch of community hours, which we don't usually get.”
SISD’s veterinary technology program is one of 47 Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that provides students with hands-on experience and the opportunity to earn a level-one veterinary assistant certification by graduation. The program is available at Pebble Hills, El Dorado and Eastlake high schools.
Students who obtain 500 hours will be eligible to take the level-one veterinary assistant certification exam. But Rivera and her classmate Alaina Motes have decided to take their certification efforts to the next level.
Rivera and Motes plan to follow in Joshua Muñoz's footsteps, a 2023 Pebble Hills graduate who earned a level II veterinary assistant certification. Muñoz was one of two high school students in Texas who completed an additional 1,000 clinical hours to reach the level II certification in 2023.
“My goal is to get level II certification because it would open up more (opportunities) for me,” said Motes, who has earned 104 hours since summer volunteering at El Paso Animal Services. She has helped with animal intakes, vaccinations and microchipping “Getting (level) I is good but getting (level) II is better.”
Freshmen in the program take an introductory principles course in agriculture science. As sophomores, they learn how to care for dogs, cats, and other house pets. During their junior year, students learn to care for livestock, such as pigs.
Students traditionally begin to pursue their veterinary assistant certification in their senior year at local veterinary clinics, where they gain hands-on experience. But Rivera and Motes started a year earlier to have more time to complete the 1,500 clinical hours necessary to earn a level II certification.
Rivera said she is determined to reach her level II certification, which will get her closer to her dream of becoming a veterinarian. She credits the vet tech program with helping to boost her career choice.
“I've definitely got more experience than I would have if I didn't join the program,” Rivera said. “Working with animals at (Animal Services), I've been able to microchip and vaccinate animals, so it's definitely not something you would get in regular circumstances.”
Reanna Bean-Rodecap, animal science teacher at Pebble Hills High School, said Socorro ISD’s partnership with El Paso Animal Services is vital to ensuring students get on-the-job training to obtain their veterinary assistant certifications. Animal Services was named SISD’s 2023 Business Partner of the Year.
"Without that partnership, none of the kids would have the hours they need, so it's a critical partnership because the state requires these students to get these hands-on hours, and one of those requirements is that it be done with licensed vet technicians,” Bean-Rodecap said.
She said the idea for CTE students to start a pet pantry at the high school was inspired by Animal Services pet food pantry. Bean-Rodecap said pet owners in far East El Paso who have difficulty traveling to Animal Services in Northeast El Paso could reach out to the veterinary technology program and make arrangements to pick up supplies. For the moment, people can email Bean-Rodecap directly to request items.
"(The pet food pantry) gives our kids an opportunity to create a community service project and to create community service hours while doing what they love, which is helping animals indirectly but still helping the community and helping community pets," Bean-Rodecap said.