Marissa was inspired to join Vetmed when her childhood dog passed away from osteosarcoma. She developed a longing to understand and a dedication to advocating for animals who could be suffering. Marissa’s passion for helping animals pushed her through tech school in San Diego while raising two very young children. She even took her final exam while in labor—one of her proudest achievements!
After years of working as a nurse in vetmed, she realized this field struggles with compassion fatigue, burnout, and overall mental wellness. She recognizes this field is full of empathetic healers working long hours, saying goodbye to patients they love, and very often getting little recognition. Her career path has since evolved - she's now focused on healing the healers. She's working to obtain her Master's in Social Work, focusing on Veterinary Social Work. She hopes to educate our healers on healthy leadership, effective communication, emotional intelligence, and skills to maintain a mentally healthy work and home life!