GREENWICH, N.Y. — Shania Danio’s introduction to agriculture came by way of 4-H. The Greenwich, NY-native joined a local 4-H group when she was younger which opened her eyes to the world of agriculture for the first time. By the time she was in high school she was interested enough to join the FFA.
In addition to FFA, Shania had the opportunity to be a part of the 2017-2018 Washington County (NY) Dairy Princess team during her high school years. Being a part of these organizations proved to be very formational for Shania. “My FFA advisors pushed me to my full potential and helped me succeed in not just competitions, but in my career,” she said. “FFA especially opened a door that created lifelong friendships. FFA helped me boost my confidence and personal skills. I also found out that public speaking is not so scary with the help of the Dairy Princess program. Joining the Washington County Dairy Princess team as an Alternate Dairy Princess helped me grow networks with the public and allowed me to cultivate a road for younger girls to be able to represent Washington County dairy farmers.”
Shania is also particularly thankful to her former FFA advisors as they were influential mentors for her. “I would like to especially thank my FFA advisors for welcoming me with open arms on the first day of school of freshman year,” she said. “They allowed me to reach my full potential along with being some of the best mentors. Both shaped me into the person I am today.”
Shania took her interest in agriculture and animals to SUNY Canton where she studied Veterinary Technology. Today, Shania works as a Licensed Veterinary Technician at For Pet’s Sake Veterinary Center in Glens Falls, NY. In this role, Shania works with a wide variety of animals. She works with the technology involved in veterinary care and performs some of the procedures involved in animal care and surgery. Some of her duties include taking X-rays, monitoring anesthesia when animals are in surgery, administering vaccines, drawing blood samples, and collecting and performing laboratory testing. In all her duties Shania seeks to educate the public about their pets’ health needs.
As any livestock farmer or animal owner knows vets play a key role keeping animals healthy and well. Shania shared, “Being a Licensed Veterinary Technician helps in the agricultural industry by giving the proper medical care to animals and also helps detect/educate the public on any zoonotic diseases that may be a threat to everyone’s day to day life.”
Prior to becoming a veterinary technician, Shania’s other ag-related jobs included working as a milk-hand for a local dairy farm and working in the storefront/ice cream parlor of a local creamery. She mentioned that both jobs relate to her current profession because they enhanced her customer service skills and taught her more about proper animal husbandry. She added, “Most importantly they taught me about being a good co-worker and team player.”
For anyone interested in becoming a veterinary technician Shania encourages a positive attitude and perseverance. She said, “… always put your best foot forward, study hard and to never give up. While going through tech school there were many times I thought I couldn’t do this. But now looking back I would not have changed my path.”
For anyone who may have questions for Shania about being a veterinary technician or the veterinary profession in general, she can be reached at shaniad110@yahoo.com.
A new column from Morning Ag Clips, “Cultivating Ag Careers” introduces agriculture students and FFAers to the wide variety of careers that exist in agriculture. Each week a new individual will be introduced, who will share their journey: their educational experiences, their work, and what role their job plays in the wide world of agriculture.
Tune in each Wednesday to learn more about the different jobs and personalities that make up the ag industry!