A passion for animal care leads to scholarship for NICC student and promising future career
Friday, March 8, 2024
After he completes the NICC program in May 2024, Jacob is returning to the Iowa State campus to complete an internship with the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Raised on a livestock production family farm while growing up, Jacob Leuchtenmacher developed skills and a passion for caring for animals at an early age. His interest in a professional career in animal care led him to the Animal Science bachelor’s degree program at Iowa State University after graduating high school. The Elgin, Iowa, native focused his formal education on animal health and husbandry.
With each lecture and laboratory session at Iowa State, Jacob’s love for working with both production and companion animals flourished. His time at the university focused on growing his knowledge in the field and building a future career in the well-being of animals.
“After completing my degree, I accepted a position in the exports and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) departments at Iowa Premium, a national beef company in Tama, Iowa. I enjoyed the experiences and opportunities this position held, but after two and a half years, I wanted to return to a career closer to my strongest passions in animal health,” Jacob said.
He enrolled in the Production and Companion Animal Veterinary Technician program at Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) in fall 2022 to change his career direction to veterinary technologist. Woven into the program’s second year is also an internship requirement. After he completes the NICC program in May 2024, Jacob is returning to the Iowa State campus to complete an internship with the College of Veterinary Medicine.
“This internship will build upon the experiences and opportunities I have had working with local rural mixed practices, and it offers an opportunity for me to explore more facets of the veterinary medical industry,” he said.
Additional support from the Zoetis Foundation/AVMF Veterinary Technician Student Scholarship Program is helping to make his career dream come true.
“I was also chosen as a recipient of the $2,000 Zoetis Scholarship. I am extremely excited and honored. College can be very daunting with the immense amount of pressure and stress applied to students, not only academically but also financially, and with opportunities such as these, I am able to shift more focus to my studies,” Jacob said.
The Zoetis Foundation/AVMF Veterinary Technician Student Scholarship Program was developed to offset educational expenses related to attaining a veterinary education. The program focuses on addressing the issue of student debt and the need to foster diversity in the profession – issues that greatly impact the future of the veterinary profession.
This Production and Companion Animal Veterinary Technician program at the NICC Calmar campus includes in-depth interaction with both companion animals and livestock. The program utilizes a new small animal surgical suite, and on-site digital radiology imaging equipment that serves both companion and large animal clients. As part of their education students receive direct access to Iowa's Dairy Center, the Beef Science Education Center (both conveniently located on campus), Iowa State University Swine Medical Education Center, many private equine facilities and local farms learning many different aspects of veterinary medicine.
This two-year program is accredited by the AVMA CVTEA and includes companion animal medicine with an extra focus on large animal medicine. You will complete the program able to perform all hands-on task requirements set forth by the AVMA on the Veterinary Technology Essential Skills List in compliance with AVMA standards. For more information, visit nicc.edu/vettech.