Melissa: Riverdale tutor

Certified Tutor

I 2013 graduate of Cuyahoga Community College's veterinary technology program and got my RVT license in Ohio that summer. I received my Bachelor of Science in biology with a minor in chemistry from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in December, 2024. I earned my Laboratory Animal Technologist (LATG) certification from the American Association of Laboratory Animal Sciences in 2016. I have experience working in a research lab as an undergraduate student and have been a co-author of a published journal article. I have extensive experience with Microsoft Office and online literature searches. I have a working knowledge of MATLAB. Since 2013, I have worked at the Animal Resource Center (ARC) in CWRU's School of Medicine. There, I have led training tours of the different facilities and assisted in husbandry, enrichment, medical and surgical procedures in a wide variety of species. For the last two years, I have provided training to research personnel and animal care staff in person and over Zoom in both classroom and hands-on laboratory settings.

The subjects I am most passionate about are veterinary technology and writing laboratory reports or research papers. In my experience, the most difficult parts of the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) are medical terminology and drug calculations. I love helping students discover that these subjects can become their strengths rather than weaknesses! I believe a strong understanding of the basics of any subject (like terminology) is vital to passing exams and later success in the workplace. Knowledge builds confidence, which allows you to adapt to changing circumstances and builds trust between your colleagues and supervisors.

When not working, I love to read and hike in local parks. I share my home with an Amazon parrot that loves to scream at the vacuum and bite me.