COLUMBIA — Columbia State Community College pinned 19 veterinary technology graduates this spring, adding to a quiet but steady stream of skilled workers the college sends into the region each year.
Five of the graduates are from Maury County: Ella Barton, Carmaine Alderson, Avery Boulton, Zoe Love, and Kristine Wentworth. The class also drew students from Giles, Williamson, Lawrence, and seven other counties across Middle Tennessee and southern Alabama.
The pinning ceremony, a tradition in healthcare and allied health programs, marks the formal transition from student to practitioner. Dr. Julie Anderson, who directs the veterinary technology program, told graduates that the moment recognized more than coursework. "Our pinning ceremony celebrates the hard work, compassion, and dedication these students have shown throughout the program," she said.
Columbia State operates one of only six accredited veterinary technology programs in Tennessee, certified by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Graduates earn an Associate of Applied Science degree and are trained in clinical pathology, radiology, surgical assistance, and hospital management.
The range of careers available to licensed vet techs is wider than most people expect. Dr. Kae Fleming, Dean of Health Sciences, reminded graduates of that at the ceremony. "Licensed vet techs work in exciting, rewarding and sometimes unexpected places," she said, listing clinics, emergency hospitals, research centers, universities, pharmaceutical companies, ranches, parks, zoos, and aquariums.
For a rural county where livestock, working dogs, and family pets are all part of daily life, trained veterinary professionals are not a luxury. They are part of the backbone of how Maury County takes care of what it raises and what it loves.