When university life wasn’t working out for Kendra DuRussel, she decided to move back to Flin Flon and pursue a career as a paramedic.
So she left the University of Saskatchewan, where she was working toward becoming a veterinarian, and completed a paramedic course.
DuRussel has worked with the Northern Health Region as a Flin Flon-based paramedic since 2011 but recently decided to again pursue her original goal.
She left Flin Flon on Tuesday en route to South Africa to take a big step toward furthering her career, education and dreams.
DuRussel, 23, is participating in a pre-vet wildlife internship as a volunteer in Chintsa, South Africa, for the next two weeks.
“I’ve wanted to do something like that for a long time, since I graduated,” said DuRussel, who graduated from Hapnot Collegiate in 2008. “It was like it was calling my name.”
Going abroad
DuRussel researched internships abroad. When she saw the term “pre-vet” in the title of one, she knew it was meant to be.
“It caught my eye right away,” she said. “It’s always been a dream of mine. I just haven’t been ready until now.”
The Flin Flonner is one of eight volunteers participating in this month’s internship in Chintsa.
DuRussel will be able to work closely with the other volunteers as well as veterinarians and veterinarian technicians.
She and the other volunteers will be working with both exotic animals as well as farm animals and other pets from the community. They will work out of a building as well as in the field with the animals.
“I’m especially looking forward to working with those exotic animals,” DuRussel said with a smile. “I love the big cats. That’s going to be my favourite part.”
Travelling across the world to help exotic animals isn’t a new dream for DuRussel, but the experience is certainly a first.
“It’s going to be
an adventure,” she said Monday before leaving for her trip.
‘Big cats’
DuRussel’s love of “big cats” came fairly early on, as she asked her mother if she could move to California when she was 16 to help train exotic animals.
“She wouldn’t let me,” she laughed. “I’ve just always wanted to see these animals up close. Anyone who knows me knows this is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.”
Interns travel from all corners of the world to participate in the program. DuRussel didn’t know anyone else going but was excited to spend two weeks with like-minded people.
When DuRussel attended university the first time, the timing wasn’t right. Now, after working for a few years, she’s ready to continue her education.
Her goal is to attend the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, but she admits it’s a long road to get in.
DuRussel hopes the internship abroad will help her chances of being accepted, saying it will “look great on my application.”
Transfer skills
She will also be able to transfer some of the skills she has learned as a paramedic, like the medical terminology, to becoming a veterinarian.
DuRussel still has work to do before applying to the veterinary college, but she says the internship will be important.
“I won’t be going into school blind,” she said.
This is DuRussel’s second trip “across the pond,” as she traveled to Italy in 2007 with the Hapnot Travel Club.
She’s making this trip solo and plans to continue onto Thailand after her internship in Chinsta.
“I’m already halfway across the world,” she said, “I might as well keep going.”
