Born and raised in Virginia where she attended Virginia Commonwealth University for her undergraduate degree. She originally pursued human medicine in the hopes of attending medical school, but after working at a large hospital she realized that human medicine wasn’t for her. Dr. Yates found her passion for veterinary medicine volunteering with a local wildlife rescue and becoming a wildlife rehabilitator under the supervision of a veterinarian. From there she began working at a small animal and exotic practice as an assistant and discovered her love of reptile medicine. She completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at Ross University and moved to Illinois to finish out her training. Her favorite group of species to work with are reptiles, particularly snakes and lizards. She has two dogs at home and she spends most of her free time. Her interests include reading, running, and hiking.