Originally from New York City, Yahawa spent her early childhood surrounded by animals and a growing passion for their care. After living in New York for the first eight years of her life, she spent the next eight years in St. Thomas and Puerto Rico before graduating from high school. Throughout her childhood, she rescued and rehomed dozens of cats, cared for a dog named Simba and even had a pet iguana. Those experiences, combined with her love for helping animals, laid the foundation for her future in veterinary medicine.
Yahawa knew she wanted to become a veterinarian as early as middle school, when classmates nicknamed her the “animal lady” because they would bring her stray animals to care for. Volunteering at an animal shelter further solidified her calling, showing her how rewarding it was to advocate for animals that could not speak for themselves while educating others on providing the best possible care.
She earned her undergraduate degree from Oakland University before continuing her veterinary education at Michigan State University.
Yahawa is currently a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student at Michigan State University and anticipates completing her degree in 2027.
Having visited Las Vegas twice before, Yahawa is excited to return and experience veterinary medicine in a different climate. She looks forward to expanding her knowledge of diseases and conditions more commonly seen in the Southwest while gaining a deeper understanding of what it is like to practice in the region.
During this externship, Yahawa is focused on strengthening her clinical confidence by improving skills such as blood draws, catheter placement, intubation, anesthesia, surgical techniques, and developing thorough differential diagnoses. Following graduation, she hopes to complete a rotating internship to continue learning through strong mentorship while building confidence as a clinician.
Outside of the hospital, Yahawa enjoys cooking a wide variety of cuisines, reading, dancing, and spending time outdoors hiking with her cat, Nox.
