{"id":235495,"date":"2026-06-03T16:49:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T02:49:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=235495"},"modified":"2026-06-03T16:49:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T02:49:22","slug":"vet-tech-students-get-jobs-before-graduation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/06\/03\/vet-tech-students-get-jobs-before-graduation\/","title":{"rendered":"Perfect match: How Windward CC<\/abbr> vet tech students get jobs before graduation"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> < 1<\/span> minute<\/span><\/span>

\"Three<\/p>\n

For Windward Community College veterinary technology students, job searching doesn’t come after earning a diploma. The path to employment is fast-tracked thanks to the annual Perfect+Match networking event, which connects first-year students with top clinics, often creating employment opportunities before they finish their studies.<\/p>\n

\"Two
Kenny Lum of Vet Solutions Inc and Ashleigh Long 2nd year vet tech student<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The most recent event, held on May 5, did not disappoint. Class president Ashleigh Long met Kenny Lum, director of human resources and marketing at Veterinary Solutions, and walked away from the event with both an internship and a job offer.<\/p>\n

This immediate employment success is a hallmark of Windward CC<\/abbr>‘s AVMA<\/abbr>-accredited veterinary technology program<\/a>—the only one of its kind in Hawaiʻi<\/span>. The program replaces uncertainty with expertise, ensuring graduates are job-ready from day one.<\/p>\n

Real-world training<\/h2>\n
\"Five
From left: Jessie Krause, instructor Kacie Tom-Dela Cruz, McKayla Meana, Janine Garcia and Karlee Agricula<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Students dive into intensive, real-world training, tackling everything from surgical assistance and radiology to specialized exotic animal nursing. It was a transformative journey for second-year student Maluhia MacPherson, who grew up loving animals on a farm.<\/p>\n

MacPherson said, “I overcame my fear of placing an IV<\/abbr> catheter with the support of my instructors, classmates and lots of hands-on experience.”<\/p>\n

Windward CC<\/abbr> graduates approximately 20 highly skilled veterinary paraprofessionals each year.<\/p>\n

To learn more, attend the next information session on June 12<\/a>.<\/p>\n

&#8212By Carolynn Yamada<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hands-on training conquers fear, optimizes animal healthcare employment opportunities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":235506,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[71,514,66],"class_list":["post-235495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-veterinary-technology","tag-windward-community-college","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t