Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

For my 30 hours I plan to do extra hours at the veterinary clinic where I mentor, as well as continue volunteering at Priceless Pets Orphanage.

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

To show my extra hours at mentorship I plan to log my hours and describe in detail what I have learned and done. For the volunteer hours at Priceless Pets, I plan to take pictures while volunteering and logging my hours there. In addition to that, I will also try to get a volunteer shirt. 

3.  Explain how this component will help you explore your topic in more depth.

By doing extra hours at the clinic, I will be able to gain more knowledge of the field and talk more with the staff about my EQ and project. Volunteering at Priceless Pets is something that I enjoy doing and being allowed to do that for my independent component and earn hours is a plus. It also allows me to help animals in a different way and see how the staff runs their business and works together.

Blog 14: Independent Component 1

Literal
a) I, Jessica Castillo, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 34 hours of work.

b) Priceless Pets Orphanage and Professor Rash from my Orientation and Careers in AHS class.

c) Hours up to date.

d) During my independent component, I took an Animal Health Science class, as well as volunteered at the Priceless Pets Orphanage in Chino Hills. At the college class, I learned how to become a veterinary technologist and the classes needed. I learned that Cal Poly one of very few colleges to offer a four-year vet tech program. At Priceless Pets, I learned what is needed to run a successful animal business. I walked dogs, washed and folded clothes, and cleaned kennels.

Interpretive
Through my volunteer work at Priceless Pets, I was able to get a different view on animal care. I was able to see a different job that still involved working with animals. In addition to that, I was also able to gain knowledge through attending the animal health science class. I was able to listen to different speakers that came in, most of whom were veterinarians or previous AHS students. They were very insightful and knowledgeable of the field. They made sure to let us know of the different jobs available to animal health science majors. Overall, this independent component gave me a different perspective of the animal health field, as well as knowledge and insight.

Walking Maggie.

Maggie, one of the many dogs at Priceless Pets.

Transcript from AHS class

Applied

This component helped me understand the different occupations available within the animal science/vet med field. It also let me experience a different side of animal health care. Through my volunteer work at Priceless Pets, I was able to help animals in need in my spare time and it was a great experience. Through the AHS class I was able to learn more about the field of veterinary medicine. I was able to meet the many women, and some men, that wanted to become veterinary technologists. I was also able to listen to many speakers, veterinarians and previous students, and learn from their experiences and hear what they had to say about the vet med field, as well as their job.

Shocking discoveries...

The most interesting thing that I was able to witness this month at mentorship was when a pregnant English Bull Mastiff came into the clinic. The technicians had me look at the x-rays and they found something pretty interesting. There were around 20 puppies in the mother's womb! How crazy is that?! The technician had me count the skulls and spines to see how many puppies I accounted for. I counted 20, but they said there could be more. It was hard to tell from the x-rays the exact number of puppies because they were all squished in there. The technicians had to take two x-rays just to get the full body image of the dog, that's how big it was. They know that some puppies might not survive, but they are hoping for the best.

Blog 13: Lesson 2 Reflection

1.What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?

I am most proud of my activity. I feel that it engaged the audience and helped further explain/demonstrate my answer.

2. a.)What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?

I would give myself a P.

b.) Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.

I think I deserve a P because I felt my research and evidence was clear, I had a visual aid, I cited my sources, and created an engaging activity.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?

My activity worked, as well as my PowerPoint.

4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?

I would have projected my voice more and made better eye contact with my audience.

5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?

They can also best help the animal through examinations, x-rays, and health tests.

Blog 12: Mentorship 10 hours check

1.   Where are you doing your mentorship?

            Country Animal Clinic

2.   Who is your contact?

            Dr. Gene Metzger

3.   How many total hours have you done? 

            32 hours

4.   Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.

For the ten hours, I was introduced to the staff, as well as my mentor, in the clinic. I was shown around the clinic and got to witness the types of procedures and services they offer. I got to see a dog get spayed on my first day there. Later on, I got to see the technicians perform different procedures such as nail clippings, vaccinations, ear cleanings, inserting IVs, and many more.

Blog 11: Holiday Project Update

1.  It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school.  What did you do over the break with your senior project?

Over break, I continued to go to mentorship when I could. There were a lot of things going on over break, so I was unable to go as much as I would have liked to. 

2.  What was the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why?  What was the source of what you learned?

I learned that it is important to keep track of the supplies in the clinic. When I went to mentorship, one of the vet techs told me that they had run out of ear cleaning solution because no one wrote down that they needed more. This could hurt the business because the vet techs do not have the necessary supplies and can, therefore, not perform the needed task. Luckily, there was one extra bottle in the back that could be used until the new shipment of ear cleaning solution came in.

3.  If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers for your EQ, who would you talk to and why?

I would talk to the vet techs in the clinic where I mentor because they are included in my EQ and could best help me answer it. I would also talk to a vet that works at a different clinic to get her perspective and see if it differs from where I mentor.

Interesting things happening...

I have seen and learned a lot of things while at my mentorship this month, but one thing stood out to me the most. I overheard technicians and mentor discuss what they believed to be wrong with two cats that had been brought in by West End Animal Shelter. The shelter didn't tell them what was wrong so it made things difficult. Technicians were preparing to take blood and give injections to one of the West End cats, when it flew off the table, hissed, and tried to scratch the technicians. Technicians then placed the cat in the "cat box" with gas attached to it. I had never seen this box used before so I found it very interesting. I learned that the box is used to sedate cats that can't be controlled or freak out. The gas slowly sedated the cat so the technicians could work on it. One technician, named Julia, told me that they have to work fast before the gas wears off because the cat could wake up at any moment. They also have to make sure the cat is all the way sedated before they remove it from the box because it could also wake up suddenly. December was an overall good and busy month at the clinic. I'm glad to do my mentorship there and look forward to witnessing more exciting things.