Hannah Brown’s love for animals began with exotics and wildlife rehabilitation. After earning her BA in anthropology with a concentration in primatology, she went on to pursue her masters in anthropology as well as intern at a zoo, with the ultimate goal of working in primate conservation.
As she continued her journey along this path, she realized that she wasn’t interested in the statistical and analytical research associated with it felt she was missing out on having a closer connection to the human-animal bond.
“Although I had no veterinary experience, I decided to apply for veterinary technician role at
Center for Veterinary Care (CVC), a Thrive Pet Healthcare Partner in New York City so I could continue to work with animals. Little did I know that my job would completely change the course of my career!” shared Hannah.
This August, she made game-changing the decision not to return to graduate school and instead focus on growing her career as a veterinary professional.
“Although I had opportunities lined up to do research under my professor and travel to Madagascar, I couldn’t give up the knowledge I’d learned here and the opportunity to work with people and animals every day.”
In fact, Hannah doubled down on her passion, applying for Thrive’s Penn Foster Sponsorship Program, which enables team members, sponsored by Thrive Pet Healthcare, to pursue their veterinary technician certification at their own pace, while continuing to work within their home hospitals.
Just this month, Hannah learned she will be enrolling in the Penn Foster program and beginning her studies in January 2023! She says that when she got accepted into the program, she knew she had made the right decision.
“A huge reason I wanted to do the program is to learn the academic aspects of veterinary medicine, considering I get hands-on knowledge every day. I’m always trying to dig into the reason for something — like why we are prescribing a specific medication over another, what a high or low level of a specific aspect of a chemistry indicates, etc. I like to specifically know why I’m doing something, so I hope to walk away with a deeper understanding in general.”
We are thrilled to support Thrivers like Hannah, who are committed to lifelong learning and deepening their skills to better serve pets, clients, and fellow team members. Throughout her experience in the Thrive-Penn Foster Sponsorship Program, Hannah will be guided by a mentor at CVC and the Thrive team through monthly and quarterly check-ins, internal training, and constant dialogue.
"We want everyone in our network to feel enabled with the tools, support, and resources they need to succeed in their hospital role – and wherever their professional journey takes them. Another important aspect is reveling in their accomplishments and making them feel like they’re not just bobbing in the water,” shares Gina Falish, National Director of Nursing Excellence and Education at Thrive.
For Hannah Brown, the future looks incredibly bright — and we can’t wait to watch her shine.
“In the next few years, I definitely want to become a licensed technician and fear-free certified. Beyond that, I would love to become a
Veterinary Technician Specialist in zoological medicine. I got my roots in exotic care and I’m sure I will find my way back there someday.”
To discover what makes Thrive Pet Healthcare your career destination and explore open opportunities within our network, visit our Careers page.
