EP06 Meet the Team - Leigha Wright

Vet Tech Talk

On this episode of Vet Tech Talk we welcome Leigha Wright. Leigha is the Clinical Coordinator at App State’s Veterinary Technology Program. She is an award-winning veterinary technician and teacher, as well as being an avid supporter of her students dedicated to creating a productive environment for their learning. She and her two Airedale terriers live on a Texas.

Transcript

Dave Blanks:

Hello there. Welcome to Vet Tech Talk! I'm Dave Blanks, and I work here at App State in University Communications. On this episode, we're joined by Leigha Wright. Leigha started her veterinary technology career in the Appalachian mountains of Eastern Kentucky. Her career has taken her across multiple states while working in diagnostic laboratories, veterinary schools, and veterinary technology schools. She is a credentialed technician in Texas and was awarded the Licensed Veterinary Technician of the Year Award from the Texas Veterinary Medical Association in 2021. Leigha worked as the Clinical Coordinator for a veterinary technology program in Texas for 3 years prior to joining Appalachian State. Wright earned a Teaching Excellence Award from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development in 2020.

She works with the Texas Airedale Rescue Team and has two Airedale Terrier mixes of her own, along with two cats that she rescued while in veterinary technology school. Here’s my conversation with Leigha Wright.

Dave Blanks:

Leigha?

Leigha Wright:

Yes.

Dave Blanks:

Do you want to do a podcast with me?

Leigha Wright:

Yes, please.

Dave Blanks:

Let's do this thing. Leigha Wright, you are the clinical coordinator for the Veterinary Technology Program. And where do you live?

Leigha Wright:

I live in Texas right now.

Dave Blanks:

All right.

Leigha Wright:

But I'm from Eastern Kentucky.

Dave Blanks:

Okay.

Leigha Wright:

We can't be mistaken for a Texan.

Dave Blanks:

Well, it's a different accent, right?

Leigha Wright:

It is. It is.

Dave Blanks:

But Texans have an accent as well.

Leigha Wright:

They do.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

They get a little confused with mine because they're like, you ain't from around here.

Dave Blanks:

Oh, really?

Leigha Wright:

But you kind of sound like you might be. So what's going on?

Dave Blanks:

All right. So you're the clinical coordinator, so that means you're in charge of what? What is your gig here at Appalachian?

Leigha Wright:

My job as clinical coordinator is I will match all of our vet tech students with the clinical site where there is a credential technician or a DVM. So a veterinarian, that will help them to obtain those hands-on psychomotor skills.

Dave Blanks:

Psychomotor.

Leigha Wright:

Yeah. Fancy, right?

Dave Blanks:

That sounds cool.

Leigha Wright:

So they get those skills. They learn how to do them at a clinical facility during their clinical externship, and that way these students, yes, it is an online program. So they get those, they get the didactic knowledge. They get it in class. It's online. We're still a community. We're still a team. But then I also help to provide them with teams in the field. So they get to make those connections, make those interactions. And my happy place is matching students to these clinical sites.

Dave Blanks:

Nice.

Leigha Wright:

So we match their personalities and everything.

Dave Blanks:

I gotcha. Wow. Okay. Cool. Well, that sounds very comprehensive. Can you tell me how you came into veterinary technology, veterinary medicine? What was your journey that led you to that?

Leigha Wright:

Yes.

Dave Blanks:

Did you always love animals?

Leigha Wright:

Oh, yes.

Dave Blanks:

Yes.

Leigha Wright:

I missed my last day of eighth grade to help my dog give birth.

Dave Blanks:

Aw.

Leigha Wright:

So it's always been in my mind. I grew up not knowing what a veterinary technician was. I grew up in eastern Kentucky. I'm from Pike County, Kentucky, deep in the mountains, and I did not know what a vet tech was. I know what a veterinarian-

Dave Blanks:

Welcome back to the mountain mountains, by the way.

Leigha Wright:

Yeah. Oh.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

I'm so happy to be back in these mountains.

Dave Blanks:

I bet. Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

Just wake up and smell that air. I'm like, Hmm. Look at that fog.

Dave Blanks:

Doesn't it smell different?

Leigha Wright:

It is.

Dave Blanks:

Golly.

Leigha Wright:

It does.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah. Okay. All right. So you grew up there.

Leigha Wright:

Yes. And so I went to college thinking, all right, I'm going to be a veterinarian.

Dave Blanks:

Oh, okay.

Leigha Wright:

Because I wanted to play with animals.

Dave Blanks:

Right. Yeah, sure.

Leigha Wright:

But that didn't really fit right. It didn't fit with my soul of exactly what I wanted. I wanted more of the hands on. I don't have to take O Chem. My gosh. Please don't make me do it.

Dave Blanks:

What is that?

Leigha Wright:

Organic chemistry.

Dave Blanks:

Organic chemistry. Oh, I should know what that is. Being a part of higher education.

Leigha Wright:

That was bad. Yeah. That's hard.

Dave Blanks:

Rough stuff.

Leigha Wright:

Yeah. I didn't want that. I wanted to go play with puppies and kitties, but it piqued my interest. The school I went to had a on-campus vet tech program, and I ended up switching majors. So that's how I ended up in vet tech.

Dave Blanks:

How different was it when you switched the major? Was it like, oh my God, what am I doing? Or was it like, this is it? Yes.

Leigha Wright:

It was, this is it because-

Dave Blanks:

What a good feeling.

Leigha Wright:

The difference between, because I've also worked for a vet school. The difference between vet tech and pre-vet in undergrad is in a lot of the vet tech programs, you're going to get to touch animals while you're in undergrad.

Dave Blanks:

Right. That's what you wanted.

Leigha Wright:

Yeah. Vet school, you ain't touching an animal until you get to vet school.

Dave Blanks:

Touching books.

Leigha Wright:

Yeah.

Dave Blanks:

Touching the mouse on your computer.

Leigha Wright:

It was excessive.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

So I switched.

Dave Blanks:

It's important. Necessary to have veterinarians.

Leigha Wright:

It is.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

It is. And I loved working with my, because I worked with vet students, so I loved that. Loved working with them. But my passion kind of lays with working with these vet tech students.

Dave Blanks:

I got you.

Leigha Wright:

They just get it.

Dave Blanks:

Okay. So where were you most recently before you came into this position?

Leigha Wright:

I was the clinical coordinator for a brick and mortar campus in Texas.

Dave Blanks:

How did you find out about this job? How'd you get here?

Leigha Wright:

So I'm part of the Association of Vet Tech Educators.

Dave Blanks:

Okay.

Leigha Wright:

We are very lucky in our team that Jen Serling is actually the president of it.

Dave Blanks:

Oh.

Leigha Wright:

I know. I felt like I was meeting a celebrity.

Dave Blanks:

Wow.

Leigha Wright:

And she's amazing.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah. She's awesome. We have had her on the podcast as well, yeah. Jen is a hoot.

Leigha Wright:

Good. She's amazing.

Dave Blanks:

She's cool.

Leigha Wright:

I was already part of AVTE, and she posted it on the Facebook group.

Dave Blanks:

Okay.

Leigha Wright:

And I was like, well, I'm intrigued.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

So-

Dave Blanks:

So you did it?

Leigha Wright:

The fact that it was for App State within the Appalachian Mountains, I'd been feeling that urge to give back to my community. That's what made me apply. I was like, I love clinical coordinating. It's a happy place. They're allowing me to teach anatomy, which is another happy place.

Dave Blanks:

Cool.

Leigha Wright:

And it's my mountains. So-

Dave Blanks:

Good. Well, we're glad you're connected to the mountains once again, even if you are in Texas.

Leigha Wright:

I know. It's so flat.

Dave Blanks:

I'm not saying Texas is bad.

Leigha Wright:

It ain't bad. It's just different.

Dave Blanks:

A good experience is there. It's different. It's different.

Leigha Wright:

I forgot what the color of green was like. And I come back here and I'm like, oh, yeah, green.

Dave Blanks:

Oh yeah! Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

That's not a cactus. Perfect.

Dave Blanks:

Tell me about experiences, the externships that these students are going to have. And tell me how in the world are you developing this network of locations where you know them well enough to know that a student will match with them? How are you doing that?

Leigha Wright:

Yeah. Most of the places that we'll have will be general practice. Most of it will be companion animals, so small animal cats, dogs.

Dave Blanks:

Okay.

Leigha Wright:

I'm hoping to get a lot more large animal and some exotic clinics.

Dave Blanks:

Oh, I didn't know there were clinics that were specifically for exotic.

Leigha Wright:

Yes.

Dave Blanks:

Oh.

Leigha Wright:

A lot of them do mixed, but-

Dave Blanks:

Right.

Leigha Wright:

I'm hoping. I have a couple that I've already got in contact with.

Dave Blanks:

And these locations are not just North Carolina, although-

Leigha Wright:

No, they're all over.

Dave Blanks:

Primarily starting out. That is more of the students that we're getting. Therefore, those are more of the relationships that you're building with these places in North Carolina. But-

Leigha Wright:

Yes.

Dave Blanks:

You said other states as well?

Leigha Wright:

Yeah.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

I'm working with a couple of vet schools so we can have students even in teaching hospitals there, because what's better than teaching vet tech students alongside of the veterinarians, that they'll be that veterinary students, that they'll be working as a team when they get out anyway? So we can teach them how to work as a team while they're still in school.

Dave Blanks:

Cool.

Leigha Wright:

They can learn together.

Dave Blanks:

Right.

Leigha Wright:

I love it. So there'll be a couple of those sites. There's a couple of diagnostic labs. So I'm going to reach out to maybe some zoos. My goal is to make-

Dave Blanks:

Oh, wow.

Leigha Wright:

A connection anywhere that a student is interested.

Dave Blanks:

Right.

Leigha Wright:

Because this field has endless possibilities.

Dave Blanks:

Right.

Leigha Wright:

It's taken me all over the US.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

And I want my students to have those opportunities. And I try to make it a little bit personable. So whenever I talk to clinics, I actually keep notes of their pets, how they interact as a team. We're going to have, luckily, we have Ms. Rebecca Newman.

Dave Blanks:

Oh, yeah.

Leigha Wright:

Who's going to help us with creating some wellbeing content. So that'll be really helpful. We're going to have a packet that goes with the clinics. We're going to help I'm going to try and be as interactive as possible. That way I can match those personalities.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah. I got you.

Leigha Wright:

Because obviously an extremely shy student isn't going to thrive at a vet school in those teaching hospitals where it's a lot more. It's busy. It's high energy.

Dave Blanks:

Way more people.

Leigha Wright:

Go, go, go. Yeah.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah. So what if a student, because they have to do their clinicals. What if they're bringing you a location? They're saying, here's where I want to do it. I mean, are you like, yeah, whatever. Okay. That's fine. I mean, cool. Good. I'm glad you got a place.

Leigha Wright:

There's a process.

Dave Blanks:

Ah okay.

Leigha Wright:

But I do highly encourage that. If they have a place and they're like, I'm really interested in this clinic. I want to work there-

Dave Blanks:

Maybe they already worked there. Maybe they already worked there.

Leigha Wright:

Yes.

Dave Blanks:

Right.

Leigha Wright:

I love it.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

All right. Here's my process, guys. We're going to start early. I highly encourage the students to schedule meetings with me whenever they, well, not whenever. I have a very set time, but, because I'm going to watch my own wellbeing as well.

Dave Blanks:

Sure. You got to do it.

Leigha Wright:

But I have it set up so they can schedule meetings with me. We talk about that. I've already had some students who aren't going to be in clinicals for another year.

Dave Blanks:

Oh, wow.

Leigha Wright:

Already be like-

Dave Blanks:

Already talking to you?

Leigha Wright:

Yeah. Already asking about sites. I'm like, awesome. Let's get started.

Dave Blanks:

Cool. Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

Because I'm going to get the paperwork. I've got a process ready to roll.

Dave Blanks:

Leigha, one thing we didn't talk about was your crazy forensic animal history, because we mentioned it before. Is that what you would even call it? Is that something you want to talk about on the podcast or no?

Leigha Wright:

No. We definitely can.

Dave Blanks:

Okay. All right. Okay, cool. Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

So I didn't really like-

Dave Blanks:

You did the clinical coordination thing.

Leigha Wright:

Well-

Dave Blanks:

But before that.

Leigha Wright:

Before the clinical coordination, I started out after graduating vet tech school.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

I didn't like general practice.

Dave Blanks:

Okay.

Leigha Wright:

All of my classmates were going and working in general practice, and I was like, I don't like it.

Dave Blanks:

But you still get to play with animals. What was it you didn't like about it?

Leigha Wright:

It wasn't for me, it wasn't fulfilling something.

Dave Blanks:

[inaudible 00:08:52]. Okay.

Leigha Wright:

And I actually toured University of Kentucky's Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, and they showed me the necropsy suite.

Dave Blanks:

Necropsy.

Leigha Wright:

Yes.

Dave Blanks:

Okay.

Leigha Wright:

So necropsy is an autopsy on an animal.

Dave Blanks:

Right.

Leigha Wright:

And because an autopsy is only on humans.

Dave Blanks:

Okay,.

Leigha Wright:

And they showed me the necropsy suite, and I was like, geez, O Pete. This is it. And I actually got a job there and performed necropsies on animals.

Dave Blanks:

What were you trying to figure out?

Leigha Wright:

We would figure out why they died. So if it was a herd animal, that way you ensure herd safety.

Dave Blanks:

Like wasting disease or something that whitetail might get.

Leigha Wright:

We actually had a couple of deer come in. We do a lot of cattle. Lot of horses. Lots of cats and dogs figuring out why they died. It might be a closure for the client, or it might be the veterinarian is stumped.

Dave Blanks:

Oh!

Leigha Wright:

And just curiosity.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah. Wow. Okay.

Leigha Wright:

So really fun.

Dave Blanks:

Cool. How long did you do that?

Leigha Wright:

At the University of Kentucky, about a year. And then I moved to South Carolina. This is what this degree does for you.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah. You have moved to many locations.

Leigha Wright:

Yeah.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

So I moved to South Carolina. I was the first female necropsy tech they'd ever had in the state and worked for Clemson Diagnostic Lab. And then I got a call from a vet school, Lincoln Memorial University. Went up to Tennessee, moved there, worked in their anatomy lab, and then I ended up in Texas.

Dave Blanks:

Dang.

Leigha Wright:

So it can take you all over.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah. Really. Well, that's very interesting. I thought we had to share the necropsy background because yeah, it's just unusual. I was totally unfamiliar with it.

Leigha Wright:

It's okay. I actually had a student, this is our first semester of the program. I've already had one student.

Dave Blanks:

Right. We're in it right now.

Leigha Wright:

Yeah. We just started it.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah, I know. Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

And one of the students, after scheduling a meeting with me, we were talking and they're interested in necropsy.

Dave Blanks:

Were you like-

Leigha Wright:

And I was like, yay.

Dave Blanks:

Shed a tear.

Leigha Wright:

I was like, do you want to see all the bones around my house? I have a squirrel in a jar. What do you want? I'll show it. It was so good to hear that.

Dave Blanks:

Well, I'm glad you're inspiring people with all kinds of aspirations and you're supporting people from all walks of life. The program's going to reach not only in North Carolina, but nationwide could be worldwide. So you could be dealing with people-

Leigha Wright:

We've had some interest.

Dave Blanks:

In different countries. Yeah. Is there anything else you want to cover before we get into the animals that mean the most to you in your life? That's what we're going to end on.

Leigha Wright:

Oh, that'll be a good one.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah. Not the squirrel in the jar. I don't know. That one might be, but.

Leigha Wright:

It's not. It's just a random squirrel in a jar. I don't know.

Dave Blanks:

Fair enough.

Leigha Wright:

It's just my life. I want to reiterate I'm so happy to be a part of this. Not just this program that has the importance of wellbeing, the amazing team they've put together, but it's also helping a community that means everything to me. I was raised by these mountains. It's my way of giving back. And I love furthering the veterinary field. And also just having the little dash of these are my mountains.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

So.

Dave Blanks:

I like that too.

Leigha Wright:

It has been extremely rewarding already. And we are not even halfway through the first semester. So it's going to be good.

Dave Blanks:

The animals in your life, we talk often about the human animal bond and that connection and how powerful it is between people. So do you have animals that you are connected with right now?

Leigha Wright:

Yes.

Dave Blanks:

Tell me about these animals.

Leigha Wright:

So first I want to start with a dog who has passed. He moved everywhere with me. I worked for free an entire summer to get this dog. Yeah, I know. I fell in love. I lived in a small town and he was an Airedale Terrier.

Dave Blanks:

What? An Airedale?

Leigha Wright:

Airedale Terrier.

Dave Blanks:

Okay. All right.

Leigha Wright:

The king of the terriers.

Dave Blanks:

I've seen this dog. Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

Yeah.

Dave Blanks:

They're a regal.

Leigha Wright:

He was amazing. He went through vet tech school with me. He actually had heartworm disease and we treated it in my vet tech program.

Dave Blanks:

Wow.

Leigha Wright:

So he was a part of my education, and he traveled to all these places I say I've been, he was right there.

Dave Blanks:

What was his name?

Leigha Wright:

Scruff.

Dave Blanks:

Scruff.

Leigha Wright:

Yes. He's now tattooed on my leg.

Dave Blanks:

Aw. All right. Never forget Scruff.

Leigha Wright:

No. So we keep him, but he started my passion for Airedale Terriers.

Dave Blanks:

Right.

Leigha Wright:

And I'm all about adopting, rescuing, all of that. So I have two Airedale mixes. One of them came from the mountains of Tennessee. Her name is Sophie Jean. She's an Airedale Lab cross.

Dave Blanks:

Okay.

Leigha Wright:

She is my little shadow and I love her.

Dave Blanks:

Cool.

Leigha Wright:

And then we have my wild child, Sam, who is an Airedale mix that came from the streets of Lufkin, Texas.

Dave Blanks:

All right.

Leigha Wright:

He's a hot mess.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah. All right. So he's off on his own. Is he a little more independent?

Leigha Wright:

No.

Dave Blanks:

No, he's not?

Leigha Wright:

No.

Dave Blanks:

He's just crazy?

Leigha Wright:

He has to be right behind me.

Dave Blanks:

Oh, okay.

Leigha Wright:

So working remote. My office is also my guest room.

Dave Blanks:

Yep.

Leigha Wright:

I have my desk set up and there's a bed behind me. And it might as well be his bed because in every single meeting that I take, he's laying on that bed behind me. He's got about 10 toys up there. He brings a new one every day. He has to be in the same room. And we just tell him, I'm like, "All right, let's go to work. And he runs and gets on that bed."

Dave Blanks:

Aw.

Leigha Wright:

So.

Dave Blanks:

Well, it sounds like you have a good support system. Speaking of wellbeing at your house. It makes me want to learn more about Airdale Terriers. Why the Airdale?

Leigha Wright:

Because of Scruff.

Dave Blanks:

Just the little... The Scruff, because just Scruff.

Leigha Wright:

They're scruffy. I really liked the nub, the no tail thing, but that is docked.

Dave Blanks:

Right.

Leigha Wright:

My two mixes are not docked.

Dave Blanks:

Right.

Leigha Wright:

They got full tails, so they knock everything off the counter.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah, sure.

Leigha Wright:

But the fact that they're so stubborn.

Dave Blanks:

Yeah.

Leigha Wright:

But also so playful.

Dave Blanks:

Well, Leigha, thank you for your time. I really appreciate you being here. And if people want to contact you, the Vet Tech website is vettech.appstate.edu. And your email address is on here, but tell me what it is.

Leigha Wright:

Yes. [e-mail].

Dave Blanks:

Wrightld1. Leigha, thanks so much. I really appreciate you.

Leigha Wright:

Thank you. This was so much fun.

Dave Blanks:

Good. I'm glad. It's good... I'm glad you got to come back to the mountains in person for this.

Leigha Wright:

Yes.

Dave Blanks:

Yes.

Leigha Wright:

I have loved it.

Dave Blanks:

If you love animals, a degree in veterinary technology may be just what you need in your life, put that love for animals to work for you. No matter your busy schedule, you'll learn to capably assist veterinarians and prepare for certification exams to take advantage of a flourishing job market and ensure that pets get the care they need. You can find out more by going online to the vet tech website, that's vettech.appstate.edu. Vet Tech Talk is at production of University Communications here at Appalachian State. Check out more of our podcasts by going online to podcasts.appstate.edu. I'm Dave Blanks. Thanks so much for listening to Vet Tech Talk and have a great day.