Hands-on Healing: Caroline Bass’s Journey as a High Schooler and Veterinary Advocate
Colonial Forge High School senior and Biology STAT student, Caroline Bass, is already making a difference in Fredericksburg’s animal care community. Passionate about becoming a veterinarian, she has spent her high school years volunteering with and shadowing local clinics and animal shelters, building a strong foundation of hands-on skills and real-world experience.
Caroline began shadowing and volunteering at veterinary clinics as a sophomore, noting that each experience has helped fuel her interests in animal care. “Volunteering and shadowing with veterinarians has just made me want to be one even more,” she says. “I love the medical side of this career as well as just purely loving animals, so working with veterinarians has given me a more up-close and realistic perspective of my future.”
While many days involve behind-the-scenes observation, Caroline has also had opportunities to engage in hands-on learning. “When I shadowed a large animal vet,” she recalls, “she had me help her to wrangle and hold down pigs to trim their nails and examine them, draw medicine up in needles, and even showed me how to do an ultrasound on a pregnant goat.” These experiences have helped her to master fundamental skills, like conducting body exams, checking vital signs, and becoming more educated on the intense care that certain animals require.
Volunteering often presents emotional challenges. “When I see an injured or sick animal, I show it compassion, smile, and try my best to make it feel better,” Caroline says. “But since I am not even in a pre-veterinary program, I can’t do much [yet].”
One of her most impactful experiences involved a sheep beloved by its owners. The aged sheep, having been raised since birth by a couple, has arthritis in its joints and has sustained a hip injury that rendered it unable to stand. “It was heartbreaking to see,” she reflects, “but it was also important for me to know what to do in this type of situation, because these are the types of scenarios I’ll have to deal with regularly when I become a veterinarian.”
Caroline credits both her passion and persistence for opening doors of opportunity with volunteer work. “If you want to volunteer with animals, find any place with animals around you and just go talk to them about shadowing or volunteering!” she advises. “I went to every vet clinic I could find in Stafford and Fredericksburg and talked to them, and I found an amazing, fear-free practice.”
Currently, Caroline volunteers at Hart Animal Clinic in Fredericksburg, Virginia, continuing to expand her veterinary knowledge as a reliable assistant. She encourages students, especially those interested in animal care work, to explore their own career interests early. “Go to shelters, zoos, anything you can find, and just be kind and show interest,” she says, “and you’ll definitely find the perfect place for you!”
