Microbiology major Alison Dockery dreams of one day becoming a small animal veterinarian, and she will be one step closer to that goal when she graduates from WSU this spring. Dockery moved from Dublin, Ireland, to the United States in 2011 and later graduated high school from Sammamish, Washington. She is majoring microbiology and is on the pre-veterinary track.
How has WSU prepared you for your future?
WSU has prepared me immensely for my future by providing me with unique opportunities. I am currently the vice president of the WSU Pre-Vet Club where I help other pre-vet students in their pathway to applying to vet schools. The WSU Honors College has pushed me to explore various thesis topics and now I will be co-investigating a topic related to animal welfare. Without these opportunities, I wouldn’t have the same confidence or knowledge as I do now.
What’s your favorite place about WSU?
My favorite place at WSU would have to be the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The faculty are incredible sources of knowledge and I have learned so much from them as an undergraduate intern there.
What’s your favorite course you’ve taken at WSU?
My favorite course that I’ve taken at WSU is MBIOS 430 with Dr. Mixter. This course’s structure is different from any other lab I have taken so far. Dr. Mixter not only teaches immunology and virology-based experiments but also focuses on professional communication, career development, and ethics within the scientific literature. This course has been so helpful in my journey toward professional education.
What do you hope to do when you graduate?
When I graduate, I hope to attend vet school and earn my DVM degree. My dream is to be working with small animals such as dogs and cats somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Later, I hope to specialize in either radiology or emergency and critical care.
Do you have a job?
I work as a veterinary assistant back in my hometown during college breaks. I am responsible for dispensing medications, prepping and monitoring patients under anesthesia, administering vaccines, taking radiographs, and providing laser and IV fluid therapy to name a few.
What are your favorite things to do?
One of my favorite things to do is play my bass guitar or listen to music. I decided to learn how to play the bass guitar during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. I also love watching the Apple Cup, GO COUGS!
What’s a unique fun fact about you?
I have two amazing miniature English cream dachshunds, Millie and Hank, who love to go fishing, hiking, and swimming with me.