Minas Mkhitarian lived in the Sierra Nevada Mountains from April to September 2012, building and maintaining hiking trails with a professional trail crew.
“We worked hard, lived in tents, showered in creeks, and saw some of the most beautiful places my eyes have ever witnessed,” he said. Nearly 10 years later, Minas is ecstatic to start at Seven Hills Pet Hospital in Henderson, Nevada, a small animal general practice. “An animal hospital is like a community where you can feel like you’re a part of something bigger than yourself. There’s camaraderie and meaningful work to be done, and I enjoy that. The human animal bond is also a precious thing, and it is a privilege to be a steward of that bond through every appointment,” he said. The job will be closer to home from Minas, who grew up in Las Vegas and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Nevada, Reno. “Yeah… I’m not a rebel. Go Wolf Pack!” he said. Minas will miss the Palouse landscape, and biking the Bill Chipman Palouse and Latah trails. So will Minas’ goofy 9-year-old standard poodle, Poopoosh. “It means adorable in Armenian,” Minas said. “He’s been my faithful companion through many major milestones in life – through some dark times and triumphant ones. He’s a precious gift from God.”