Elissa graduated from the Ridgewater College Veterinary Technician program in Willmar, MN in 2005, and received her CVT shortly after. She has been a member of the ZVC Team since 2021. As a child, Elissa brought home every kind of creature that was sick or broken, hoping to mend them. Just ask her about her pet squirrel, Roxy (she'll tell you it's a long story!). Elissa's other "crazy crew of pets" vie for her love at home: cats Jed and Cleo; sheep Tulip; and rabbits Arya, Wee Fergus, Luna, and Merida. In her free time, Elissa likes to travel to visit family and abroad (Ireland and Scotland are favorites), to hunt, fish, and go 4-wheeling, and she also enjoys reading and painting [citation].