Hana Wagner: Why majoring in Animal Sciences with a Specialization in Biosciences was the best fit for me
Written By Hana Wagner
I grew up in the small town of Ashland, OH. Growing up, I would always see the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) commercials on TV, and I would beg my parents to donate. From just those small commercials is where I started to grow my passion for helping animals.
It sounds cliché, but I have always loved animals, and I always had animals growing up. I begged my parents to take me to riding lessons at a local horse farm. I started to competitively show horses all around Ohio when I was in 8th grade, and from that experience I really wanted to know more about other species. So, my freshman year of high school I worked with horses at CB Performance Horses. Then, in my junior year of high school, I started working at Falling Star Farms, which is a local large dairy operation, because I wanted to broaden my knowledge of large food production animals. I absolutely loved working with dairy cattle, and from there I started to shadow veterinarians around my area.
In high school, I was super lucky to have the option to go to a JVS (joint vocational school). I started to attend the Ashland County West-Holmes Career Center during my junior year of school in the Animal Veterinary Science program. In that program I got to work with all kinds of animals, like exotics, companion animals, small ruminants, and large animals. We even had surgery days where a veterinarian would come in to spay and neuter the humane society’s animals. Our county did not have a building for their humane society, so they used our school. As a high school student, I was taught basic animal handling and health skills that veterinary technicians learn in school.
After high school I wanted to leave Ohio and explore. I moved to Murfreesboro, TN to attend Middle Tennessee State University and started working at an emergency vet clinic in my freshman year of undergrad. I saw so many animals who needed serious medical attention, and I gained so many important life skills during this time. After that I decided I needed a slight change, so I started working at a small animal general practice called Brogli Lane Weaver & Alexander Animal Hospital. This is where I knew that I belonged in this profession. I worked under some amazing doctors and colleagues, and everyone was supportive of me coming into the veterinary industry. I saw so many amazing patients and clients and I learned something new every single day.
After a year of living in Tennessee and being away from family, there were some tough decisions to be made. So, I transitioned back up to Ohio as I knew there was a local school that could still offer a great education in large animals and small ruminants. I started to attend The Ohio State University ATI. While being here I have gained so much knowledge, experience and could not have been happier with my education and my decision to move back to the area. All these things I have listed have majorly impacted my decision to major in Animal Sciences/Biosciences.