Growing up on a farm in Denver, NC, Jessica has always known she would one day pursue a career in veterinary medicine. A naturally shy person, she found it difficult to make friends when she was younger. To compensate for this, she turned to her family pets. Animals have always been a comfort to her, and now, as a veterinary technician, Jessica is honored to help our clients develop and strengthen the bonds they share with their furry family members.
Jessica’s career journey began at a local doggy daycare. From there, she moved on to work at a different kennel and daycare facility. During this time, she enrolled in Gaston College’s Veterinary Technician program. While attending classes, Jessica took a job as a veterinary assistant at an emergency vet clinic. When this environment became too overwhelming, she decided it was time to transition to general practice. Jessica joined the team at Hambright Animal Hospital in March 2022, and hasn’t looked back since!
Clinically, Jessica enjoys working in the lab – in particular, reading ear and skin cytologies and running bloodwork. Using these tests to piece together the puzzle and reach a definitive diagnosis is incredibly rewarding. Jessica also has a particular knack for comforting patients who are anxious, drawing inspiration from her childhood cat Whiskers, who was terrified of the vet. In Whisker’s honor, it’s her goal to make visits with us as positive and stress-free an experience as possible.
At home, Jessica and her fiancée have a dog and two cats of their own. Beau, a hound mix, loves to stand on his hind legs and is always generous with his daily hugs. Ellie is an extremely smart kitty who knows three tricks: sit, paw, and roll over. Ember is very social and warms up to pretty much anyone. Jessica also counts her parents’ goat, Lady BaBa, as part of her extended animal family. Lady BaBa doesn’t know she’s a goat, though. She thinks she’s a dog.
In her spare time, Jessica can typically be found relaxing at home with her family. She and her fiancée also enjoy playing old-school video games and exploring new hiking trails with Beau.