DALLAS- A Dallas program throws a bone to dozens of local at-risk children and exposes them to some of their dream jobs.
Vanessa Mejia hopes to someday become a veterinarian. The fifth grader is getting hands-on training from Dr. Karen Fling, of the Eastlake Veterinary Hospital.
"I've learned that when you get a new puppy or pet you have to treat it at a veterinarian's hospital so it can be checked and taken care of," said the 10 year old.
Over the summer, the Dallas Community Lighthouse offered dozens of children in three low income apartment communities a camp called "When I Grow Up." Each week, the at-risk kids learned about potential career opportunities, including working at a veterinary hospital.
They spent all week learning about veterinarians and then met a vet to get a perspective of what it's like to work there.
"We hope they come away with a real in depth look at behind the scenes, where they're seeing what's being cared for," Fling said. "They learn about heart worm diseases, just the nuts and bolts of what's involved to take care of pets."
The goal of the camp is to hopefully spark an interest or inspire a child to look at a possible future career. The children also got took behind-the-scenes tours with a chef, firefighter, police officer and an airline pilot.
