DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Nikki LaCoss
Nikki LaCoss
As an animal health technician for the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Nikki LaCoss gets to turn her passion for animals into a career while helping veterinary students learn the ropes.
“I work in the surgery department, and I help the vet school students do physical exams on the animals,” LaCoss said. “We do everything from helping them draw blood to putting in catheters to taking radiographs. I work closely with the students and the animals every day, which is great.”
LaCoss said it is rewarding to see the students complete their educations and succeed in the field of veterinary medicine.
“I think one of the best things about my job is watching the students go on to do their residencies and become board-certified surgeons,” LaCoss said. “Watching them grow and knowing I had an influence on them is a wonderful feeling.”
LaCoss earned two degrees in psychology before making a career change to animal health.
“During grad school, I realized I didn’t really want to work in psychology, but I decided to go ahead and finish my master’s and then take a while to figure out what to do career-wise,” LaCoss said. “I asked myself what I’m passionate about and realized I wanted to work with animals. I have not looked back since.”
When she is not working, LaCoss said she enjoys participating in medieval reenactments, playing Dungeons and Dragons and canoeing.
“I actually met my husband through medieval reenactments,” LaCoss said. “We travel to several Southern states to participate in reenactments whenever we get the chance.”
Editor's note: The Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine Spotlight Employee profiles are provided by the Office of Agricultural Communications at Mississippi State. For more information, please click here.
