We were lucky to catch up with Sofia Goodnight recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Sofia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s go back in time to when you were an intern or apprentice – what’s an interesting story you can share from that stage of your career?
I haven’t officially had an internship or apprenticeship, but I believe my school and volunteer work/experience have proven to be just as educational and fulfilling and have taught me many lessons. I would like to share a few of those experiences.
I have volunteered with AnimalLuvrs Dream Rescue since I was about 5 years old. In that time, I have fostered many animals and volunteered at events to help raise awareness of the rescue and its mission. The rescue’s mission is to help save and care for critically ill and injured animals. I have learned to be more aware and patient through fostering, as animals who have been abused and are very sick or hurt require more observation/supervision and slow interactions/introductions. It takes medical care, time, patience and lots of TLC to help them heal. A rewarding part of fostering animals that are sick or injured is getting to be apart of their journey to a better life. I love seeing the difference from when we first bring an animal home to when they are ready to find their forever home. The transformations that happen are so rewarding and inspire me to continue helping animals that are in need. I also volunteer at events and help educate the community on importance of rescue life.
Over Thanksgiving break in 2022, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Nicaragua with the rescue for a spay and neuter clinic. Going to a different country and seeing how veterinary care differs from here was definitely eye opening. This opportunity was amazing as I was not only just watching the procedures, but I got to have hands on experience. I got to assist with pre-op, watch during surgery (spay and neuter) on cats and dogs, and help during recovery by making sure animals woke up from surgery and were given correct medications before discharge. I participated in an outreach day where we went into a very poor town and gave animals there the necessary vaccines, vitamins and preventatives needed free of charge and also educated families on importance of spay/neuter and vet care. Operating in a clinic setting with limited resources taught me adaptability and tested my ability to work efficiently. I learned to make the most out of available resources and improvised when necessary. The challenges and successes instilled a sense of dedication and purpose in not only helping the animals but also the communities that are in need. I realized on this trip that I wanted to continue to work with animals and hope to pursue my studies in vet medicine, specializing in rehabilitation services (Shoutout to golden ears sanctuary for letting me shadow Tysons rehab session at Florida veterinary rehailitation and sports medicine). This was an incredible trip and I hope to return again very soon.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am currently a sophomore attending Strawberry Crest High School IB program and enrolled in their Vet Assistant program which I love being a part of. I am also currently involved in my high schools’ FFA chapter and I am studying to compete in the Vet Science CDE. I swim for the varsity swim team and play flag football at Strawberry Crest High School.
During summer 2023 I helped teach swim lessons.
I also participated in the University of Florida Gator Vet Camp 2023 and gained more understanding and hands on experience of what it looks like to study vet medicine.
Some hobbies I enjoy outside of school include traveling, concerts, hanging out with friends and family, and baking.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
Other than training and knowledge, some skills that are most helpful for succeeding in the vet field are communication and organization.
Communication is a key part in the veterinary field. I am not currently working in a hospital or clinic as I am too young however I communicate with other clinics to see if I can shadow a veterinarian. I go to events almost every weekend and I communicate with people all the time.
Organization is another helpful thing to have when being involved in the veterinary field. Organization is helpful when applying for vet camps or emailing clinics. Keep organized so you ensure that you email a clinic once or apply to a camp once.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: foster_luv
Image Credits
My mom (Rebecca Marquez-Goodnight)