The rise of Karean Levi Chapman
Vet techs are the backbone of the vet med community, and Karean Levi Chapman is one of the most remarkable vet techs you will ever meet. A woman who has always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, she is keeping her hands in the industry as a tech due to health challenges that have shaped her life.
Karean is the mother of Shay Chapman, the famous YouTuber who created “Shay’s Way” and “Cooking with Shay” on Pet Candy. She’s also an incredibly talented person in her own right, she completed a BFA in Visual Communications and Digital Graphic Design in 2004 and has a huge number of award winning books under her belt. Karean has written “Who Me? What Should I Be?,” “Look At Me... A Veterinarian I Want To Be!,” “Look At Me... A Musician I Want To Be!,” “Look At Me... A Chef I Want to Be!,” and “The Adventures of Northern the Moose and a Dragon Named Zeus.”
The goal of these books are to help young children get a sense of what different careers are like, so they are more prepared to choose a college degree. In today’s muddled world where schools and even parents fail to share possible career paths with their kids, these books are a ray of hope for kids.
Karean’s life has been greatly shaped by those around her, and it has made her who she is today. Her father is an incredible man, who lived through the worst of wars, the great depression, and lost both his parents at a young age. Instead of turning bitter like many would, he became a kind and gentle man with a practical sense that rubbed off on his daughter.
Although becoming a veterinarian is not in the cards for Karean due to illness, she has learned how to get around her health problems to still have a hand in the medical field. She has a great interest in equestrian medicine, but focuses on small animal practice to better make use of her gifts.
Medical challenges have taught Karean a lot. She now knows that her determination must be tempered with patience and perseverance. She knows that health problems are not a sign of weakness, and that she doesn’t have to be the top person in the world to compete against herself.
This is a valuable lesson that few people ever learn, and is a solid path to success. When you compete against yourself, and yourself alone, you open the pathway to the greatest possible success. Many people give up not because they themselves are untalented, but because they don’t compare to the top person in their field—from the very beginning.
Karean is continuing to grow and recreate herself every day. In tech school, she dreamed up her own veterinary clinic and what it would look like, down to the smallest detail. Although her own clinic is currently out of reach, Karean works every day to live her best life.
Life is short. There’s so much to do and see. Instead of focusing on your limitations, strengthen what you can. You’ll reach the stars that way, one way or another.