A little bit about her
The Wildlife Medical Clinic is excited to introduce our newest student manager from the Class of 2028, Alyssa Guest! Alyssa is originally from New Boston, Michigan and graduated from Michigan State University in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Zoology. Her current veterinary medicine interests include wildlife and exotics, but she is keeping an open mind while she progresses through the veterinary curriculum. We sat down with Alyssa and asked her a handful of questions. Continue reading to learn more about her!
We first inquired about Alyssa’s path to veterinary medicine and learned that when she was in high school, she originally wanted to pursue psychology until she took a zoology class. While she was in her undergrad at Michigan State, she still was unsure on what she wanted to pursue but knew that she liked working hands-on with animals. Alyssa found herself in a full-time research position the summer between her sophomore and junior year working with moths to control an invasive plant species, Swallow-Wort, commonly known as “Dog Strangling Vine”. After her time in a research setting, Alyssa then began working in a primary care veterinary clinic.
How she came to be manager
Next, we were curious to know why Alyssa was interested in applying for WMC manager. Alyssa was excited to share that one of her team leaders, Rachel, really planted the seeds in her head about applying for the position. After speaking with one of the current managers, Riley, Alyssa was very interested in all the different opportunities that she could have as a manager. More importantly, she wants to be heavily involved in providing education and comfort for all the volunteers.
While Alyssa is still a manager in training, she is looking forward to this upcoming summer where she will be in the clinic full-time with student interns, 4th year veterinary students, and faculty. Alyssa stated that she cannot wait to be able to put all her training to use as she works with more species and learns new skills. When it comes to her future goals, Alyssa wants to work towards becoming more comfortable with avian species while making the Wildlife Medical Clinic as enjoyable as possible for everyone involved.
Lastly, we asked Alyssa what she enjoys outside of veterinary medicine and if she has any particular species, she hopes to encounter during her time in the WMC. Alyssa was delighted to share with us that she enjoys drawing, cross-stitch, and playing video games. As a bonus, she shared that she also knows how to play the trombone! When thinking about potential patients that could arrive at the clinic, Alyssa said that she would be excited to work with a pelican or other reptiles and amphibians.
We are thrilled to welcome Alyssa into her new position as manager!
Written By: Rachel Eggleston, Co-Chair, Class of 2027
