Technicians:

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​ Melissa Zurick, C.V.T
Graduated: Parkland College
Melissa graduated from Parkland College in 1992 with an associates of applied science degree in veterinary technology. She is a certified veterinary technician in Illinois. She started out as a surgery technician but then joined Grayslake Animal Hospital in January 1997. Her main area of interest is dentistry. 

​Sandy Gryzoski
Graduated: Medical Institute of Minnesota
Sandy graduated from the Medical Institute of Minnesota in 1979. She has two degrees- a veterinary technician degree and an associate of science degree. She has worked in the veterinary field for over 35 years and joined Grayslake Animal Hospital in September 1998 as our primary surgical technician. She has been happily married to her husband Wally for 34 years. They have 2 grown children who are both married and one beautiful granddaughter. Currently she shares her home with their "fur babies" Lady, the Cavalier King Charles spaniel, and 5 rescue cats. Sandy's hobbies include gardening and crafting; but mostly she just enjoys spending her time with family and friends    

Lindsey Rajkovich, C.V.T.
Graduated: St. Petersburgh College 
​​Lindsey started working at the hospital in 2003 as a part-time, after school kennel assistant.  Her passion for the field and eagerness to learn quickly helped her to advance through various positions within the hospital.  Lindsey soon became our “Jack of all trades” and easily fit into the role of kennel/technician and doctor assistant, room runner, and front desk receptionist.  She graduated from St. Petersburg College in 2014 majoring in Veterinary Technology and is now a Certified Veterinary Technician.  Lindsey’s animal family consists of her French Bulldog Ginger and her cat Miles.
Lindsey is our first technician to have pursued continuing education on the scientific/clinical topic of Behavior to become Certified in Low Stress Handling. Her studies focused on handling techniques that can decrease stress to the pet and make coming to the vet a more positive experience.

Megan Amidei
Technician Assistant
​Megan began her career at Grayslake Animal Hospital in 2016 and has held various positions before becoming a technician assistant. From room runner to reception to kennel, Megan knows the ins and outs of the hospital and is always eager to learn.
She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Ball State University and is currently working to earn her Associates in Veterinary Technology from San Juan College to become a Certified Veterinary Technician.
A native of Grayslake, Megan shares her home with her nine year-old Eclectus Parrot, Ozzy, who enjoys chirping along to movies. Megan fills her free time with studying, pet sitting, and visiting her cat, Murray, who resides with her mother. She also has always loved to travel, and has lived in Singapore, and also visited Australia, southeast Asia, Africa, Japan, and Paris. ​

Kristen Christie
Technician Assistant
Kristen joined the Grayslake Animal Hospital team in 2019. After earning a Bachelor’s in Journalism and Business from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2013, Kristen worked in the advertising/paid media industry for five years before making the change to work in the veterinary world in early 2018. She is eager to continue learning, and is currently in school at San Juan College to earn her Associate’s in Veterinary Technology.
Outside of GLAH, Kristen has worked as a professional dog trainer, and spends most of her free time attending classes/seminars and working her own dog, Titan, a five year-old AmStaff/Weimaraner mix who has fear and reactivity issues. Together they’ve made huge progress, and Titan earned his Canine Good Citizen in 2019! Kristen also lives with her husband, Zak, and has been happily married since June 2017. Together they enjoy traveling, and celebrated their honeymoon in New Zealand and their one-year anniversary in Europe.

Kim Schmidt, R.V.T.
Graduated: San Joaquin Valley College
Kim has been a veterinary technician at Grayslake Animal Hospital since March 1998. She has a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Drury University and an associates degree in veterinary technology from San Joaquin Valley College in Fresno CA. She completed the state boards in California and is registered there. In her off time, she enjoys being with her family and granddaughter.
​Kim officially retired at the end of 2017, but luckily, she will be able to come in every now and then to help out as her retirement schedule allows. She could never truly leave all the pets and families she has come to know and love! 

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