Student Spotlight — KELLI O'BRIEN WALTERS
Student Spotlight — Veterinary Technician Student and
Student Spotlight — Community Volunteer

            “I am so excited to be a student at Penn Foster College enrolled in
the Veterinary Technician Program. I am looking forward to continuing
        my education with Penn Foster College, and I would recommend
                      the Veterinary Technician Program to any and all animal
              lovers out there who are looking for a career in this field.”

Penn Foster College student Kelli O’Brien Walters is fulfilling her love and passion for life by studying to become a Veterinary Technician. Kelli grew up in a household that loved animals and was particularly inspired by her late brother, Tim, who went to college to become a Veterinarian. She wants to follow in his footsteps and honor his love of animals with her own dedication.

Kelli also gives back to her community by volunteering for a program called Friends of Virginia Beach Animal Control. It is the animal shelter for the Virginia Beach Police Department. She performs many duties at the shelter and says her education at Penn Foster College has already taught her a lot and has helped her to perform many duties. Besides helping at the animal shelter, she has recently been appointed as a leader of the shelter’s fund-raising committee. Kelli welcomes the new challenges before her.

Kelli says that she knows that her brother Tim is smiling down at her and very proud that she is finally fulfilling her dream of becoming a veterinary technician. Penn Foster College is also proud of Kelli. Her ambition, generosity, and hard work are an inspiration to other students.

Five Hot Pet Trends for 2008

Pets aren’t just a part of the family anymore — today they are part of the family budget. Spending on pets has more than doubled in the last decade, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) and is continuing to grow. Laura Bennett, author of web article “Pet Industry Trends for 2008,” predicts these Hot Pet Trends:

1. Pet services to grow in abundance
2. Pet health-care options increase
3. Many people now travel with their pets
4. Increased online sophistication
5. Pet insurance starts going mainstream

Click here to read full story.

Sources:
2008 Trends “Pet Industry Trends for 2008,” Laura Bennett
Learning & Life “38.4 Billion Reasons to Work in the Pet Industry,” Francine L. Huff

To train for a career in the growing field
of animal care, check out the options below:

Pet Grooming — The demand for Pet Groomers is expected to rise by 26%.*
Veterinary Assistant — The demand for Veterinary Assistants is expected to rise by 21%.*
Dog Obedience Trainer/Instructor — The demand for Dog Obedience Trainer/Instructors is expected to rise by 20%.*
Veterinary Technician — The demand for Veterinary Technicians is expected to rise by 35% by 2014.*

*Growth figures represent a ten-year period ending 2014. Source: “National Industry-
  Occupation Employment Matrix,” a publication of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Web links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Pet
http://caninecabcompany.com/_wsn/page2.html
http://www.pawspot.com/
http://ny.urbanhound.com/houndHealth/theVetIsIn.asp

Penn Foster College Dean’s List

Click here to view the list of students who have recently achieved the Dean’s List honor and who have agreed to have their names listed. Congratulations to all!

Did You Know?

Penn Foster Career School students are eligible to save $100 off an Apple computer or notebook. Visit the Apple Store website or call Apple directly at 1-800-MY-APPLE and mention that you’re a student of Penn Foster and order yours today.

Have You Heard?

Penn Foster now offers more than 15 focused Certificate Programs designed to provide the fundamentals in select fields of study. These shorter, concentrated programs are suited to individuals working in a particular field. The new Certificate Programs include: Accounting, One-Year Business Management, Medical Transcription...and others. For a complete list of the Penn Foster Certificate programs, click here.

Tell Us YOUR Story
(Just like Kelli O’Brien Walters!)

There is no one better qualified to encourage our students than someone who has personally experienced and met the challenges of distance learning. Many students need inspiration, motivation, and support just to enroll, as well as continue with and complete their studies. Email your story to Jim.Healey@pennfoster.edu, or mail it to Jim Healey, c/o Penn Foster, 925 Oak St., Scranton, PA 18515. We would love to hear from you.

The Last Great Race
on Earth

From Anchorage to Nome, Alaska, teams of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover over 1150 miles in 10 to 17 days through the world’s most beautiful and unforgiving terrain Mother Nature has to offer. They race through jagged mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forest, desolate tundra, and miles of windswept coast. Then, add to that temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of long hours of darkness, and you have the Iditarod® which is run every year in March since 1973. Learn more about this race and the dogs: Iditarod.com.

Looking for Employees

Penn Foster will post your job openings for free. Employers looking to find the right help, with specific skills and training, will be able to reach thousands of current students, near graduates, and graduates through job postings at
no charge. For more
information, contact JobPostings@pennfoster.edu.

Penn Foster News Archive