The Mount Wachusett Community College Veterinary Technology program recognized its inaugural class of graduates during a pinning ceremony held at the Gardner campus on Thursday, December 19th.
The honorees received their pins and took the official veterinary technician’s oath, administered by department chair Alexandra McNamara, CVT. Receiving their pins were Emily Adams, Faith Bradley, Jasmine Butler, Sydney Crocker, Megan Crowley, Jillian Gerde, Madison Giuffre, Morgan Grant, Ashley Hamel, Sarah Hosnander, Tatiana Mariscal, Felix Oliver, Delaney Tibbetts, Tonya Wakefield, and Taylor Wilson.
“It is an honor for me to be here this evening to join you in the graduation of the very first cohort of our veterinary technology program” MWCC President Dr. James Vander Hooven said. “Thank you for trusting us, and committing to this program. Without you, and without the efforts put forth by our department chair and dean to build this program, we would not be here this evening.”
“These students have the drive and desire to be strong, dedicated veterinary technicians. It takes a very special person to be a veterinary technician, and here we have 15 of them,” stated Veterinary Technology Department Chair Alexandra McNamara, CVT.
The Veterinary Technology program at MWCC was launched in 2017 thanks to a grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Workforce Skills Cabinet, and received accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Committee on Veterinary Education and Activities (CVTEA) in September 2019. Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE). MWCC is one of only five Massachusetts colleges to hold CVTEA accreditation.