A Stawell veterinary nurse has graduated “top dog” in her class.
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Last Friday, Tayla Holmes was presented with an award for the best graduating nurse out of her class of about 60 students.
Ms Holmes beat out classmates from throughout Victoria, southern New South Wales and Tasmania to receive the accolade.
“Honestly, it was a massive shock,” Ms Holmes told The Stawell Times-News about the exact moment she was announced as the recipient of the award.
“I definitely had no idea it was coming, but it was an awesome surprise.”
Ms Holmes undertook her two years of veterinary studies while working full-time at the Stawell Veterinary Clinic, which she admitted was a challenge at times.
“It was pretty difficult, I would always try to make sure I still left some time for myself when I got home from work, but I knew I had to study,” Ms Holmes said.
“(Over the two years) I learnt quite a lot during my studies, so I feel like I’ve been set up to succeed going forward.”
Some people might think that veterinary nurses studying at a rural clinic may be at more of a disadvantage than those in metropolitan areas, however Ms Homes disagrees.
“I actually think it’s better to learn out here,” Ms Holmes said.
“In my experience, in rural areas you get great support from your colleges, they always helped push me in the right direction.
“I also got a lot of practical experience that I may not have gotten at a metro clinic, and that has been so important for building up my confidence.”
With her study behind her, Ms Holmes will be happy to enjoy a bit of “me time” going forward.
“I’m pretty happy to put those late nights of study behind me, I’ll be looking forward to enjoying a bit more time for myself.” Ms Holmes laughed.
Ms Holmes will now be solely focused on serving the community of Stawell and putting her award winning knowledge to work by taking the best care of the region’s animals of all shapes and sizes.
