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Melanie Gillott

I love theatre, singing, and writing.
"If you've got a dream, you've got to grab it and never let go." -Carol Burnett

Latest posts by Melanie Gillott (see all)

• The Future is Mine club hosts career and college fair - March 30, 2017
• SHS student job shadows WPXI’s Peggy Finnegan - March 3, 2017
• Local singer moves to LA to pursue music career - March 1, 2017

Alcorn with one of her horses.

In addition to having to get ready for school in the mornings, Southmoreland junior Rhiannon Alcorn has to feed her goats, horses, and let out her horses for the day.

When she gets home from school, she does her homework, cleans the stalls, and takes care of her rabbits, chickens, dogs, and cats.

“I have two cats, two dogs, two fish, two rabbits, three horses, two goats, five hens, and a rooster,” Alcorn said.

Her love of animals doesn’t stop there. Alcorn started job shadowing at New Stanton Veterinary Service in October 2015.

“My family takes our pets there, and one day I asked if I could job shadow,” Alcorn said. Her job shadowing led her into her current job at NSVS.

Growing up with animals her entire life, the one thing Alcorn said that made her interested in working with animals was a baby cow.

“There was a calf at our one friend’s house, and the mother (cow) wasn’t taking care of it,” Alcorn said. “We bottle fed it and it started eating, and then one day it died. It would have lived, but the veterinarian wasn’t able to come.”

This is when Alcorn knew she wanted to become a veterinarian.

“When you look into a sick animal’s eyes (once) and then you look at them again when they’re healthy, (it) is beyond words,” she said. “You get such a good feeling.”

Alcorn also said that animals have made an impact on her life. “Losing (animals) is the hardest part. I don’t understand why people mistreat these animals,” she said.

One disadvantage of her job, she said, is seeing some of the animals who come to NSVS not being able to go back to their home.

“It pulls on my heartstrings but I love my job. I love my boss and co-workers. It’s been a great experience for me.”

Besides working at NSVS, Alcorn is a member of the Southmoreland Spanish club, Reading Buddies, National Honor Society, Youth Education Association, and the YMCA’s Make a Difference Club. She also competes with her horses.

In the future, Alcorn  plans to attend Westmoreland County Community College and then Penn State University to become an equine veterinarian.

Alcorn with one of her patients.