Manuel Veloria
Pierce College students hailed and give thanks to the Agricultural Science Department after graduating from the Pre-Veterinary Science Program in spring of 2007 with the help of Dr. Leland Shapiro Six students were accepted into U.C. Davis after completing the Pre-Vet program at Pierce’s Agricultural Science Center. The former alumni of pierce are Katie Wolf, Amy Pelayo, Charles Cates, Kelly Baxter, Jennifer Martin, and Bree Gessen. “The program is excellent, Dr. Shapiro pushed everybody,” Said Kelly Baxter who learned comprehensive hands on experience at the Pierce’s pre-vet program. According to Dr. Leland Shapiro, Pierce has 131 students have graduated from the program and has the highest acceptance rate in veterinary school in California, especially for a two year school program, averaging in about 85%. Amy Pelayo, one of the six students from pierce that were accepted in U.C Davis said, “The program is nonetheless the best, not only it base its studies in books but you get a better hands-on experience because they expose you into different animals.” Pelayo also added that the faculty gets the students into extensive experience, not only that they even get to work outside but they get to work outside the field by helping in fundraisers held at the farm. “The farm makes it unique, it’s such a phenomenal program. It’s extremely affordable and the faculty and staff are very supportive! They’ve set my standards high.” Pelayo said. Shapiro who is well known for his supportive and motivational attitude to students said, “”Oh yes, special requirements? They have to promise to work harder and no whining…no whining, work hard, and they always have to smile!” The program is two and a half years long and includes numerous oriented agricultural classes. “Our students get hands-on experience here, they interact with small animals such as chicken, dogs, cats then there are cows, sheep, alpacas. We also introduce them to exotic animals,” said Shapiro. “The program opened a lot of new doors to me. I learned a lot of stuff such as animal food production and learning more about small animals,” said Baxter. After completing the course program they offer in the pre-vet school at Pierce, you will be issued with a bachelor’s degree from the program. The six students received their B.A in veterinary and went straight to veterinary medical school, just as in going in medicine, but without taking the extra two more years to attain a B.A Other school like UCLA has great veterinary program but the problem is they have to farm out the animals to their hospital which makes Pierce College one of the best because they don’t get the same experience they get from Pierce because it’s well diversified with farm animals and laboratory animals according to Shapiro. However, the funding has been decreasing for the pre-vet program, “The funding for the program has been low since less people are not aware of the program,” Baxter said. Dr. Shapiro confirmed that it has been going low, “yeah the funding has been minimal however our new school president, Robert Garber, is supportive of the farm and is taking action into restoring our agricultural center with the bond money…building more facilities, and that should help us a lot.