Eighteen excited students at United High School will be the first in the district to participate in a new course to certify them as veterinary assistants. United ISD held a ribbon cutting ceremony with the students, their new teacher Kassandra Garcia, Principal Jessica Salazar, district leaders, and members of the UHS Student Council.

Joining in the celebration was Board Member Michelle Molina, who brought the idea of offering this course to the district, after a group of students approached her with a request two years ago—to help establish veterinary classes in the district so they could pursue their dreams of helping animals in the field of veterinary medicine and stay in the UISD.  

“This is going to create amazing partnerships with our community, with our municipalities,” said Molina. “As you know, this is a very much underserved area in our city and our county. And so us being able to create this opportunity for our students, who will be graduating hundreds within the next four years — it's going to be absolutely amazing!” 

Students in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program will complete 300 hours of clinical experience alongside licensed veterinarians or veterinary technicians. This essential hands-on training will prepare them to take the Certified Veterinary Assistant Level I exam.

As a pet owner, Superintendent Dr. Gerardo Cruz spoke about his family being part of the animal lover community in Laredo and how he understands the importance of providing quality care for animals as well as creating new workforce opportunities for UISD students.

He also thanked the local clinics for partnering with the district. So far, seven local clinics have signed on. The UISD veterinary community partners are: C&C Veterinary Services, Laredo Pet Vet, Veterinary Care Center of Laredo, Rio Grande Veterinary Clinic, Critter Care, Laredo Animal Clinic and the City of Laredo Animal Care Services.

“In South Texas, as you know, there are not a lot of vets, but I'm glad to see that we are going to make sure that we increase that pathway to have qualified technicians helping out our certified veterinary clinics,” the Superintendent told the audience. “Big shout out to all our community partners. Without you, this could not be done. We truly appreciate the support that you're going to provide our students, and I can tell you, these are top notch students — they're second to none.”

The participating students were selected through a competitive application process based on GPA, attendance, discipline, and teacher recommendations. It’s a rigorous academic pathway, requiring students to have first completed other agriculture courses. This year, all but one of the 18 students are female.  The teacher, Ms. Garcia said the classes will shift yearly based on interest. The lone male student, Landen Jensen, says he doesn’t mind. He has dogs and cats at home and loves helping animals. 

“I always wanted to be a vet growing up, and I want to achieve my goals and my dreams,” said Jensen. “It was kind of weird on the first day, I'll admit. I just didn't know what to think of it, but, you know, we're all human, so they accepted me.”

Another student, Kailey Gonzalez, spoke to the audience at the event about her desires to become a veterinarian.  

“Growing up, I always wrote “I want to be a veterinarian,” Gonzalez said. “Year after year, I watched the other kids change their answers, while mine never did. On teachers' bulletin boards, in a sea of doctors, therapists, business owners, and more, my paper hung proudly with my veterinarian drawing. My love and passion for animals has always been constant and continues to grow stronger as I get older.”

The Veterinary Science program is a four-year sequence designed to provide foundational knowledge and hands-on experience in veterinary medicine. The program falls under the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources career cluster and is part of the statewide Animal Science Program of Study.

The teacher of this course, Kassandra Garcia, is new to United High School and the District, but she has three years of experience teaching this rigorous class at another local district. Her experience and five-year teacher certification, love of animals and passion for teaching was a perfect fit for this job.

Garcia is one of four Agriculture teachers at UHS. She said she always wanted to be a veterinarian, but it wasn’t in the cards for her.  She has a great love of animals and has many, including dogs, horses, and lambs, which keep her busy. She says the program is rigorous, but worth the time and effort to become a veterinarian or technician.

Garcia stresses, “They see the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between, but if they have the commitment and they have the drive, they can get it done.”

Claudia Gonzalez is the Director of the district’s Career and Technical Education Department.  She said this is a very exciting day for CTE and everyone involved. 

“For us, the opening of this program is not just another opening; it is our commitment to our students, to making sure that we are providing them with the programs that are in demand in our community with the skills and knowledge that they need.”

Garcia is excited about the future of this class and all the opportunities they will have to raise awareness about helping animals in our community, as well as promoting responsible pet ownership. But perhaps no one is more excited than the first-ever students leading the way for success in this field of study!

Certified Veterinary Assistant student Landen Jensen

UISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gerardo Cruz

Veterinary Program Teacher Kassandra Garcia

Certified Veterinary Assistant student Kailey Gonzalez