Dawson Zalegowski has always loved animals, but he described himself as unmotivated when it came to working toward career goals in High School. He didn’t connect the dots until a CTC representative visited his school. During that visit, he learned about the Vet Assistant Program at the Willow Street Campus. Dawson, who had attended Garden Spot High School, applied and got into the program for his Senior year.

In the Vet Assistant Program, students gain hands-on experience working with animals in the first week of school. They work on grooming, care, handling, and participate in live surgical clinics weekly as part of a professional veterinary team. This gives students an idea of the day-to-day operations in a vet clinic, from working with animals and their owners to practicing customer service and professional ethics.
Dawson had fun his senior year in the Vet Assistant program but noted that the most significant advantage was getting a foot in the door for the co-op portion of the year. During this time, students can work paid internships in their field of study while also getting credit in their program. Although he did not stay with the clinic he worked with following graduation, he gained valuable experience and skipped having to cold-call vets and clinics looking for opportunities.
Following his High School graduation in 2017, Dawson attended Wilson College in Chambersburg, which offers a 4-year Veterinary Nursing Degree. As a freshman, he also started working at Pine Creek Animal Hospital in Gap, where he has continued working during his summer and winter breaks.

After graduating from Wilson College with his Bachelor’s, Dawson went on to St. Georges University in Grenada to seek his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, and he is almost to the finish line! Dawson still has several clinical rotations ahead of him, finishing in 2025. He will return to Pine Creek Animal Hospital in May 2025 to complete his last externship, where he hopes to continue working after completing his program.
After all of his studies, Dawson finds that the areas he enjoys the most are ophthalmology, oncology, and working with small exotics. He looks forward to working as a General Practice Veterinarian because “You get to see the animals grow, and you get to see the clients grow as pet owners.” Working in a local clinic will allow him to continue growing the relationships with clients he has worked with for the last six years at Pine Creek.
Dawson will be the second alum of the Veterinary Assistant program to earn his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. While many grads go on to work in the field, Dawson’s commitment to his studies kept him moving toward an advanced degree, which shows the wide variety of opportunities open to our Veterinary Assistant alums following graduation. We are proud that our programs inspired Dawson’s academic and professional careers, and we hope his success inspires future students!