Natalia was born in Anchorage, Alaska. She lived in King Cove and Kodiak, Alaska until she was five, when she moved to Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania with her brother and father. She has lived here ever since.

It was Natalia’s childhood dream to work with animals, and would bring home kittens, birds, mice, bunnies, and other critters that she thought needed help or a home. In Alaska, her grandmother adopted a lot of local stray animals because there aren’t as many shelters on the islands. In Pennsylvania, her grandparents and family members always relied on her to help them with their pets, even before she became involved in veterinary medicine.

A family friend, who is a CVT (Certified Veterinary Technician), and graduate of Johnson College’s Veterinary Technician Program, brought Natalia to shadow in a local veterinary hospital during the summer of 2010. Natalia fell in love with the field of veterinary medicine and began working on her associate degree in Veterinary Science at Johnson College. Natalia graduated in May, 2012, performed an internship at Philadelphia zoo and then returned to work with VREC.

Natalia began working at VREC in the summer of 2011 as a Veterinary Technician Assistant, which was her first experience in emergency medicine. “I love working in emergency medicine because this is an experience that can’t be rivaled in day practice. You never know what is going to come through the door, and you always know that no matter what is wrong with the patient, our staff can make a difference. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that I helped, and can continue to help in the future.”

Natalia has two cats, Ziggy who is 5-years-old, and Inkling who is 1-year-old. She also has a turtle, and two fish. She spends most of her time with her family, or reading, when she isn’t studying. She travels to Maine every summer to visit family.