Felicia Gonzalez-Soto Charts a Path in Veterinary Medicine

When Felicia Gonzalez-Soto moved from Sacramento, California, to Greeley in April 2023, she knew two things: she wanted to try a different pace of life and she wasn’t done with school.

Felicia had attended community college in California, but she had started and stopped more than once. When looking for local education options, she discovered Aims Community College. What ultimately sold her was the Animal Science program, which aligns perfectly with her passions and the direction she wants to take for a career. This time feels different for her; she is now more focused on her long-term goals.

Learning the Industry Without Growing Up in it

Felicia is now earning an Associate Degree in Animal Science and gaining field experience. Unlike many in her classes, she didn’t grow up on a farm or ranch. “As somebody from the city learning about agriculture, I honestly don’t really know much,” she said. That has not kept her from gravitating towards animals and ag. 

“When I was younger, I used to say I wanted to be a farmer. Once I learned what veterinary medicine was, I was drawn to it immediately. I just knew that’s what I was meant to do.”

Once she was eligible for in-state tuition, Felicia began taking online general education courses in Latin American history and English while working. The reading and writing load was heavy, but the flexibility made it doable.

Then she stepped into the program she’d been looking for. “Aims is helping me so much to get toward my veterinary career,” she said. “Some community colleges don’t offer animal science classes; you have to transfer to a four-year college just to even start taking those classes. For Felicia, that access is amazing. She sees it as a head start and a faster on-ramp to the work she wants to do.

One of the things that makes this program such a good fit for Felicia is her enthusiasm for animals alongside her love of science and problem-solving. “I like biology,” she said. “I think it’s really fascinating.  I also like the medical side of things. The problem-solving, the creativity of it.”  

Animal Science at Aims has provided her with more depth and breadth on the subject in an authentic way. The program doesn’t pretend the field is simple and it doesn’t sugarcoat what students will see. “I appreciate the transparency,” she said. “There are good things, there are maybe things that may not be pleasant to see, but that’s the career. I appreciate that they’re letting us know that up front.”

Her favorite classes so far have helped her connect the dots between science and real-life systems, especially feeds and feeding and the livestock practicum. In feeds and feeding, she dug into digestive systems across species and how nutrition impacts everything from weight gain to health risks.“We learned about what goes into their feed and how it functions,” she said. “Is it poisonous? Things like that. It was really cool to learn.”

In the livestock practicum, she found what she craved as a new ag student: an in-person context. “Reading it is one thing,” she said. “But seeing it in person,  talking to owners and observing what they do is really cool.”

Exploring Ag Outside of the Classroom 

Felicia is already gaining hands-on experience through extracurricular activities, work and volunteering.

She joined the Aims Agriculture Club, which opened up additional networking. “It doesn’t feel like I’m just taking classes,” she said. “I like being more involved.”

With the club, Felicia has toured agricultural operations, visited a hydroponics facility, helped grow plants in the Fort Lupton Campus greenhouse for a plant sale and supported events, such as bringing a live bird presentation to campus. “It gives me even more opportunities,” she said. “I’m more obsessed with animals, but I do like horticulture and crops. If you’re feeding livestock, you’ve got to know how plants work, too.”

One of her proudest moments at Aims came through competition. Felicia traveled with Aims students to Texas for a National Association of State Departments of Agriculture judging competition. She took part in a veterinary science event.“It was nerve-racking,” she admitted. “I didn’t want to disappoint my team.” The effort paid off: the Aims team earned second place in the two-year division of veterinary science. “I worked hard. I’m really happy we were able to place and give something back to our teachers who dedicated that time to take us down there.”

Felicia currently works as a veterinary assistant in small-animal care, caring for dogs and cats. While working with household pets at her job, she is building large-animal exposure through volunteer opportunities. This includes contributing her time to a Colorado State University livestock veterinary hospital, where she supported a calf unit by monitoring first-time heifers during birth. Felicia is also involved with Rhythm of the Horse, a therapeutic riding facility in Fort Lupton, where she learned tacking, grooming, and horse leading while supporting riders with different needs. “It’s been really fun,” she said. “I got to meet a lot of cool horses,  goats and chickens. I’m having a good time there.”

Ask why animals matter to her and she provides an honest answer. “I’ve always been drawn to animals more than people,” she said. “It’s really cool that we’re a different species and we can somehow connect or communicate, despite not knowing the same language.”

Next Stop: CSU, Then Veterinary School

Felicia is set to graduate in May. She is transferring to Colorado State University (CSU) to complete her bachelor’s degree in animal science. After that, her target is veterinary school, wherever she’s accepted.

Felicia is looking forward to her next big steps, but is reflective about her journey at Aims.  

“I value that I’ve gained exposure in the veterinary field and am enjoying every bit of it. I’ve learned that I can do more than I thought I could, as long as I take it one step at a time and don’t overthink it.”

For Felicia, that’s the whole thing: show up, do the work, keep moving.

At one point, she’ll trade the classroom for a clinic, the notes for the stethoscope and the dream she’s had since childhood for the career she’s been chasing all along.