NTS has always been more than just a club—it’s a community where students explore new interests, build real-world skills, and gain the confidence to take the next step in their careers. For many of our alumni, the opportunities and support they found here made a lasting impact on where they are today. Read on to hear their stories and see how NTS helped shape their paths.
Jessica Byerly (Class of 2015)
My time in NTS provided some of my best vet school experiences (in terms of both fun and learning). Being a part of the club really nurtured my love of exotics and let me befriend other students with similar interests. NTS provided my first experiences with guinea pig/ferret venipuncture, rabbit dentistry, aquarium care, and turtle shell repair. I went to my first exotics-only conferences thanks to NTS and on some great field trips behind the scenes at different zoos and aquariums. As AEMV chair, I met some cool private practitioners, shared my love of guinea pigs and other small mammals with my classmates, and had the chance to develop relationships with the exotics faculty. NTS also led me to my externship at Chicago Exotics, where I now work as a full-time exotics vet!
Emily Grzeda (Class of 2021)
NTS was a staple of my vet school experience between the community, the learning opportunities, and the leadership positions that I grew from. As its past President I knew I wanted to work with exotics full-time, but one of the best parts of this club is that you don’t need to have that goal or expectation. Even those who just want to dabble in the occasional rabbit appointment post-graduation can learn so much and be equipped with the tools they need to ask the right questions. There were always opportunities for lectures, labs, and subcommittees that allowed for increased involvement where any individual student could reach their individual goals. NTS opened opportunities I didn’t even anticipate when we started the Wildlife University conference – these leadership and teambuilding opportunities are still on my resume to this day. It opened externship opportunities for me at Brookfield Zoo (both in the “normal” live animal externship and in zoo pathology) and for my current full-time exotics position. I highly recommend joining to anyone considering getting involved.
Alli Yates (Class of 2025)
Being a part of NTS was one of the most valuable experiences I had in vet school. Serving as the AEMV chair gave me leadership experience, while the club as a whole provided opportunities I never would have had in the standard curriculum—like performing guinea pig and rabbit spays/neuters and attending lectures focused entirely on exotic animal medicine. The additional exposure and hands-on learning helped build the foundation that led me to where I am now: working as a veterinarian at an exotics-only practice. NTS truly gave me the tools, confidence, and community to pursue my passion for exotic companion animals, and I encourage anyone interested in this field to get involved.
🐾 Stay tuned… more testimonials are on the way soon! 🌟