Lisa Taylor retired from the Navy as a Master Chief, after 22 years as a Linguist and Cryptologist. She loved her career in the Navy, but she always had a passion for animal training and care. Although Lisa has a B.A. in Foreign Languages, after retirement, she wanted to pursue a new career. She registered at Mesa College and enrolled in the Animal Healthcare (Veterinary Technician) program with hopes of fulfilling her dream of caring for and training marine mammals.

What led you to decide on your new career?
I grew up around animals and always dreamed of training or conducting research with marine mammals. While I was in the Navy, I volunteered with animals whenever I could. In Texas I volunteered at a ranch and trained quarter horses. Also, I’ve been an active volunteer in San Diego with Emergency Animal Rescue and Project Wildlife. I’ve cared for orphaned or injured native wildlife of San Diego County. I also worked with, and presented education animal ambassadors at schools and events. These experiences fueled my desire to advance professionally in animal care, so I enrolled in the Animal Healthcare program at Mesa College.

How has college helped with the transition from the military to civilian life?
The GI Bill allowed me to go to school and focus on my studies. I was excited that Mesa College offered the Animal Healthcare Program. It was also my hope to obtain an internship with the U.S. Navy’s Marine Mammal Program (NMMP), which is open to U.S. students. The internship required me to commit to 40 hours a week for 16 weeks but still attend a college class!

What did the internship entail?
The U.S. Navy uses dolphins and sea lions to search for, detect, and mark the location of objects in the water. Marine mammals are very helpful to U.S. Navy divers in many situations. However, the mammals must be trained and properly taken care of. I was responsible for a variety of support roles including: diet preparation, sanitation, and facility maintenance. I also assisted with the training of the animals and with some research projects. It was an amazing learning experience.

How did the college’s Cooperative Work Experience Education (CWEE) program help?
The internship required me to be enrolled in the CWEE class. I had not previously known about the CWEE program, but I found that the program’s flexibility and the assignment helped me greatly. My assignment gave me the idea to request to job shadow the veterinarians at NMMP. It was an extraordinary experience to meet and observe the veterinarians care for marine mammals.

What advice would you give other military veterans transitioning into civilian life?
I would tell them to take advantage of the GI Bill and to go to college. Community colleges have many resources and services to help focus on a new career. Take advantage of the Cooperative Work Experience Education program, so you can volunteer in the field you are interested in pursuing. In this economy, it is so important for you to network and to show employers that you have taken that extra step to gain experience. Most military veterans have learned leadership, discipline, how to work with teams, and many other critical skills. These skills give them an advantage over students with limited work experience. Often, the military experience helps open doors. My military experience, maturity, and discipline definitely helped me during my internship opportunity with NMMP. The internship experience will help to set me up for success in my next career!

For information on this interview, contact Lisa Taylor: robnlisa22@aol.com
U.S Navy Marine Mammal Internship Website: http://www.spawar.navy.mil/sandiego/technology/mammals/intern.html