2024 Awards
Pictured left to right
Dr Stropes : DVM Recognition Award
Janna : Assistant of Year
Kaitlin : Past President
Courtney : President
Terra : Certified Veterinary Technician of the Year
Janna Nomination Letter
I’d like to nominate Janna Scheiderich for veterinary assistant of the year. She is going to school to become a CVT. She has been working as an assistant for the past 20 years. She is one of the hardest working people I know. She cares about all of the patients like they’re her own pets. All of the clients love her. She’s an amazing assistant, and she will be an amazing CVT!
Elyse Sublett, CVT
Animal Care Veterinary Center
Dr Beth Stropes Nomination Letter
I believe Beth Stropes, DVM at Crossover Veterinary Clinic is deserving of recognition as someone who has aided the field of veterinary technology. I have worked with many DVMs who have told me they don’t like CVTs and during my time working with Dr. Stropes I have only seen her encourage others to pursue education in order to become a CVT. She is very forward and clear in differentiating a certified veterinary technician versus a veterinary assistant and always willing to educate new staff members and clients. As trustee of district I for ArVMA, she made sure to stay up to date on any legislation involving veterinary technicians and was especially vocal when there was legislation proposed to allow individuals with pre-vet degrees to take the VTNE. She is constantly trying to think of ways to get our local CVTs and veterinary technology students more involved with each other and making sure they are in the know when it comes to CE, news involving veterinary technicians, etc… Since finding out I was a veterinary technology student, she has been nothing but supportive and is always checking in with me to be sure I’m understanding my coursework and helping me apply it in the moment. She also helped find resources for our high school intern to aid in him finding a school that met his needs to pursue veterinary technology. She understands that veterinary medicine is not all about becoming a veterinarian and that in order to do her job to the best of her ability, she needs a well educated and skilled veterinary technician and that we need more of them. She has also spent her free time outside of work to do things like giving talks to surgical technicians in human medicine about what a certified veterinary technician does in surgery. I work with several amazing doctors who are extremely appreciative of everything their technicians and assistants do, but Dr. Stropes goes above and beyond to utilize the skills and knowledge of the CVTs and show her appreciation for them.
Thank you,
Kayla Duffy
Terra Lee Nomination Letter
There is no one I have met that is more deserving of recognition than Terra. She far outweighs any certified/registered veterinary technician that I have worked with, not only in knowledge, but in dedication to the profession. She has true compassion for every patient no matter how difficult they are to work with. Terra strives to practice the best possible medicine and does so by
spending much of her free time doing continuing education and looking for ways to better herself as a technician, as well as better our clinic. She is not someone that can be described as “stuck in her ways” as she is always willing to evolve and never willing to waver when it comes to the care of patients. She is a true advocate for every pet that walks in our doors and is not afraid to speak up for them, especially regarding pain control. In our clinic, she leads our surgery team and plays a pivotal role in ensuring we stay up on anesthetic best practices while also being the go-to person for almost any question. Daily, our practice’s veterinarians discuss anesthetic and
analgesic protocols with her to determine the best course of action tailored specifically for the individual patient. I have worked with Terra for a little over a year and she never ceases to amaze me with her kindness and generosity towards her coworkers, patients, and clients. She is always more than happy to teach those who are willing to learn. When I was looking for a preceptor/mentor for my veterinary technology program, she did not hesitate to step up and take on these additional tasks even though she had only worked with me for a short time. Whether she’s at work or not, she
always answers my questions when I’m stuck on something or trying to learn a new skill. She never makes others feel belittled when they don’t know something and if she doesn’t know the answer to the question one has, she works with them to find the answer. Terra does all of these things and so much more while never expecting anything in return. I feel
very lucky and appreciative to have Terra as a mentor and coworker and to be able to gain from her knowledge. Her selflessness, compassion, motivation, and humility are what we should all strive for. I hope to one day be at least half of the veterinary technician she is.
Thank you,Kayla Duffy