Hey everyone!
Here it goes, first blog post ever! So I'm very new to blogging. It seems like an interesting idea and I think it makes sense to build a professional online presence for future employers to see. I decided to blog on something I have a lot of interest in. Lucky for me, it's also what I'm studying at the University of Alberta.  Currently I'm a second year student working towards a BSs in Animal Health with a major in Companion and Performance Animals. I love the program, especially my Animal Science classes. Most of them have night labs but they usually consist of field trips to farms, the Humane Society or the zoo. Which tends to make students I know in other faculties jealous.
When I came into this program out of high school, I had every intention to become a veterinarian. A lot like Rohanna Wong who's in my ALES class and taking the same major as me. I really commend her for her determination in veterinary school. She has a great blog too: http://ales-rwong.blogspot.com/ Anyways later that fall I volunteered at a vet office and found it wasn't what I was looking for for a career. I'm much more interested in the behaviour of animals rather than their illnesses. I'm currently debating a few different career paths after I get this degree, all involving animal behaviour in some way. One thing that I have learned while researching different careers is that communication is a huge part of becoming successful.

Service Dogs from http://www.thesantafevip.com/event/pop-goes-to-the-dogs-2010/

I have been considering becoming an Assistance Dog Trainer for quite a while. Someone who would train dogs for the blind or deaf.  If I got a position like this, I wouldn't just need to communicate with the animals I am training, but also the people I am training them for. One of the most important parts of training dogs for the deaf or blind is working with them to create a working partnership. Without this, the dog would not be able to effectively assist their owner. This website I found explains the importance of linking a dog with it's owner through training http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/Standards/TrainersStandards.php As the trainer I would need to communicate effectively with any client, which may mean learning a new form of communication. Like sign language.
However, I have some time left with my education to learn and build my communication skills. Right now, in my science classes, I use many online journal databases to write lab reports. This is a form of communication with other scientists. It allows them to share their work and allows me to learn from it and apply it to my own studies. Other online forms of communication help me collaborate with my lab group to finish lab reports or compare results. I would not be able to write lab reports without this connection.

Until later!

Jessica