Real Student Stories: How Kelsy Found Her Path as a Mom, Military Spouse, and Future RVT

Kelsy grew up in Southern Colorado with a love for animals that never really faded. Like many animal lovers, she once pictured the “classic” path for her future - becoming a veterinarian—but the eight years of college you need to become a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) just didn’t feel realistic for her life, especially not once she grew up and the realities of military life entered the picture.

She met her husband in middle school, started dating in high school, and they married when he joined the Navy. Since then, their home address has changed a lot. Hawaii. Guam. Virginia. Hawaii again. Maine. And now, San Diego.

In the middle of all that moving, Kelsy became a mom to two kids. And while she loves being a mother, she also knew something important: she didn’t want to be only a mom or only a wife. She wanted to build a career, a life, that felt like hers, too.

Read more: How a Vet Assistant Becomes a Vet Tech

Before Penn Foster, Kelsy was already trying to build forward momentum. She enrolled in a bachelor’s program in business administration at another college because it felt practical. It was something she could do online, something that could travel with her from state to state. She’s still working on it (with about eight courses left), taking it in chunks through the realities of deployments, moves, and motherhood.

She kept her goals alive one class at a time, making progress in steady sprints whenever she could. But when she arrived in California with her family in 2023, something shifted. She knew she’d need to get a job pretty quickly since living in California can be costly and a single salary wasn’t enough to keep their family comfortable anymore.

Kelsy landed an interview within days of moving and started working at a veterinary clinic almost immediately. What she didn’t expect was how much the right workplace would change her confidence.

A previous clinic experience had left her feeling defeated, questioning whether her old dream of working in veterinary medicine was really for her. But at this new clinic, she found a supportive, close-knit team in a single-doctor practice—people who saw potential in her even when she was still learning to see it in herself.

Read more: What Do Veterinary Technicians Do?

In June 2024, Kelsy enrolled in Penn Foster’s Veterinary Technician Degree Program with one clear goal: build a future that could move with her. Knowing she wanted to work with animals, but realistically understanding that she’d be moving a lot, she needed a program that could work with her but one that would give her a credential that she could take anywhere.

“I really liked that they were accredited,” Kelsy said, “because with moving, that was a big thing… going from state to state and making sure that my education wasn’t going to be good in one state but not in another.”

Kelsy also chose Penn Foster for a few other key reasons:

• Flexibility: Penn Foster’s online program offered self-paced classes that she could do between work, caring for her kids, and life in general.
• Affordability: Because Kelsy was paying her tuition out of pocket, monthly payment plans that could fit her family’s budget were a must.
• Transfer credits: Since she's completed some general education classes, not having to repeat them is a plus.
• Support for military families: Getting a discount on tuition as a military family made a big difference, too.

Having such a flexible, affordable, and recognized program gave Kelsy the opportunity to really start working toward her dream even amidst the chaos of real life.

Read more: How to Become Certified as a Vet Tech (State-by-State)

While “self-paced” and “flexible” make it sound like it should be really easy to find time to finish your degree, if you’re a parent reading this, you know that actually finding true “free” time is something of a myth. But it’s possible to make it work when you’re passionate and dedicated to reaching the finish line, like Kelsy.

Kelsy squeezed study time into small moments, usually after bedtime. She and her husband found a rhythm where evenings became “focus time” for both of them. At night, she’d:

• Study
• Read
• take exams

Her husband would give her the time she needed to fit in school. He’d handle kid coverage and keep the house calm, especially during proctored tests.

She also found something that helped her learning stick: she was working in the field while studying.

Instead of keeping school separate from life, she connected it to real cases, real animals, and real moments in the clinic. “What I really liked about working in the field while going through my program” she said, “is being able to relate what I’m learning in the textbooks to real-life cases.” That hands-on reinforcement helped build both competence and confidence—because she wasn’t just learning concepts, she was seeing them in action.

Read more: How Penn Foster’s Vet Tech Program Helped Jo Dsouza Balance Work, School, and His Passion for Animals

Besides her journey toward realizing her career goals as a mom, Kelsy also talked openly about something so many women carry quietly: imposter syndrome.

Early on, she wrestled with the fear of not being “good enough,” especially in a field where the stakes are high. “This is veterinary medicine. It is very important work,” she mentioned. “We deal with life and death situations.”

That pressure is heavy, particularly when you’re already juggling everything at home, too.

But as she progressed through the program, she noticed the internal voice changing. As she built more knowledge and experience, she found her confidence growing.

And as that confidence grew, it didn’t just impact her career, it impacted her kids, too! Her children, she knew - especially her daughter - are watching what hard work and the results of that hard work look like. “Especially for my daughter, I want her to see that you really can do what you set your mind to do. It may take longer… but if you have determination and put in the effort, you really can achieve great things,” she said.

While every person, every woman, and every mom has a different journey toward their dreams, Kelsy still has some great advice to others who feel like they might be stuck or feel like they have to put everyone else’s needs and goals before their own: take care of yourself, too.

She brought up the truth behind the phrase “you can’t pour from an empty cup,” and she acknowledged the weight of mom guilt—especially when you’re choosing homework over playtime for a night.

“Having kids is definitely a huge responsibility… but it doesn’t end your life,” Kelsy said. “You still can do things. And don’t let the mom guilt get you!”

But she also reframed it:

Your kids are learning from you when you keep going.

They’re learning what effort looks like, what commitment looks like, and what it looks like to build a life you’re proud of, even if it takes longer than you planned.

And while you may feel moments of exhaustion or guilt, as if you’re not giving your all to everything in your life, it’s important to remember that, at the end of the day, finding your passion and finding a good career isn’t just for you; long-term, it can benefit your whole family.

Read more: The Busy Mom's Guide to Going Back to School

Kelsy’s short-term goal is clear: finish her degree, complete her final externship, pass the VTNE, and head to Hawaii as a registered veterinary technician.

Long-term, she’s giving herself room to grow. She’s considering whether her future will lean more clinical (tech work) or more operational (management). With a vet tech degree and a business degree in progress, she’s building options, something that matters deeply when your life can change with a new set of orders.

Eventually, she and her family hope to settle in Colorado near their support system and roots. And wherever she lands, she won’t be starting from scratch, she’ll be arriving with credentials, confidence, and a career she earned on her terms.

“It may not go as planned,” Kelsy said, “but if you have determination and put in the effort and the hard work, you really can achieve great things.”

Want to know more about the Penn Foster experience from real students? Check out more student stories on our blog.