Ari Ott (Owen J. Roberts High School, Pottstown,) is a Veterinary Technology major at Manor College

Carving wood with an old set of hedge clippers wasn’t the safest idea, but 10-year-old Ari Ott didn’t care. He’d take the three-inch blades of the hand-held clippers and try to carve anything and everything he could. He even made a small canoe once. 

“They weren’t good,” Ott laughs, “but it did hook me into creating art.” 

He’d paint in class or write little stories. He’d sketch comics, design digital art, and create oil paintings. His passion became a career-focused endeavor, attending the Maryland Institute of College Art in Baltimore and the Rhode Island School of Design.

Ott left college during the pandemic. Internships – an integral part of starting an art career – dried up. Few companies in the industry were hiring. He and several friends found themselves working odd jobs just to get by. 

“My time after college was pretty fraught for me emotionally,” Ott said. “I was panicked and worried trying to find employment.” 

With art still a passion, Ott began most days the same – warming up by sketching or painting a picture of his old racing Greyhound, Hershey.

“When I was stuck in the house during the pandemic, she was always there,” Ott said. 

Taking care of animals wasn’t a new challenge for Ott. He grew up with two dogs and two cats at home. As he continued to find consistent work in the art world, Ott thought about his love for animals. 

“That background was always with me,” Ott said. “When I thought about changing careers and finding something more steady, I thought, ‘Why not just do that?’”

Ott began looking for nearby veterinary technology programs and found Manor in a Google search. While he’s only a few weeks into his time at Manor, he’s finding new opportunities within the veterinary field. His favorite class is Anatomy and Psychology, where he enjoys the hands-on aspects of the lab. 

The third-floor classroom holds different models and skeletons for study. In class, he’s dissected rats and examined several preserved horse hooves. 

In his career path, he sees working in surgery as a good fit due to the intricate hand skills required. He’s also considered getting a biology degree and becoming a scientific illustrator. 

“As an artist, I’m very detail-oriented,” Ott said. “This is an excellent opportunity to find something more stable in my life while doing what I love.”