love, leadership, and petcare: Jessica George, LVT

If you have to work for a living – and unless you’ve won the lottery, you probably do – taking care of pets is a pretty sweet career choice. The field is full of passionate, pet-loving, hard-working people, and there are a lot of job opportunities

One of the most rewarding jobs in petcare is Veterinary Technician. They’re absolutely essential members of Banfield’s vet teams, which is why Banfield sponsors a Veterinary Technician degree program at Penn Foster College.

Banfield’s Jessica George, a Licensed Veterinary Technician and practice manager at Banfield Pet Hospital in Chantilly, VA, trained at Penn Foster. Now, as one of Banfield’s Penn Foster Student Ambassadors, she also helps mentor other students in the program.

What inspired you to become a veterinary technician?

I always thought I wanted to go to vet school while I was in high school, because my love for animals was very strong. I did a job shadow during a careers class and really fell in love with veterinary medicine, and I was offered a veterinary assistant job after I finished the course.

Then, after spending years as a veterinary assistant while doing my undergrad degree, I realized that I wanted to be a veterinary technician, so I could care for pets and be a connection point to the clients. There's a true sense of love and understanding that comes from advocating for each pet and teaching pet owners how to be the best owners they can be!

Why did you choose the Penn Foster program?

I chose the Penn Foster program because of the flexibility it offers. Being a full-time practice manager, a wife, and a mother, that flexibility made it possible for me to achieve my degree on my own time. They also offered me the ability to transfer credits from my undergraduate degree, which helped motivate me more to complete the program.

How have others helped your career?

I have received great support and coaching from others. My first manager at Banfield encouraged me to enroll in the Penn Foster program. My current shift leads, who are Licensed Veterinary Technicians, supported me during my first and second externships while I was a student, and they really taught me a lot and pushed me to complete the program. And my current manager supports my leadership and mentoring roles, including being a part of the Banfield Penn Foster Student Ambassadors.