I have dreamt of becoming a veterinarian for as long as I
can remember. When I was in the second grade, my class made time capsules,
capturing snippets of our blooming personalities. Among the questions about our
favorite foods and favorite color, was a picture of a crystal ball captioned
“In My Future…” Some of my friends said they saw a new toy or puppy in their
future. In my crystal ball, I drew myself with a snake and a cat, and underneath
my picture I wrote, “I’m a vet!”
In the past six years, I have dedicated my undergraduate and
continuing education to preparation for veterinary school. Along the way, I
have been privileged with invaluable learning opportunities that have propelled
me toward my ultimate goal of attending veterinary school.
In the spring of 2015, I accepted my first internship at an
off-the-track thoroughbred rehoming and retraining facility. It was there that
I came in close contact with the physical and emotional scars that racetrack
life leaves on the bodies and minds of equine athletes. In September 2015, I
began what would be a 2 year dedication to Vermont Spay and Neuter, where I
assisted with the low-cost sterilization of hundreds of cats and sparked my interest
in shelter medicine. That same year in December, I traveled to Greece to intern
on a horse farm offering trail rides, where I learned about natural equine
behavior and was first introduced to livestock life in impoverished countries.
In fall 2016, I was off to Texas to intern at the International Exotic Animal
Sanctuary, where I learned about the harsh truth of life for animals in zoos
and what can be done to help them. I spent this July, 2017, in Concepcion,
Chile, volunteering in a veterinary clinic. In Chile, I scrubbed in on my first
surgery, enhanced my Spanish speaking skills and multicultural understanding,
and was able to contribute to reduced antibiotic use in the clinic by way of
improved sterile surgical environment and technique. Each experience, while
monetarily costly, has been rich in experience and has pushed me towards my
future career as a veterinarian.
As the daughter of an
accountant, I have always had a firm understanding about the value of money. I
have always been taught never to borrow more than I can repay, thus, when I
began my journey as an undergraduate student, I did everything in my power to
alleviate the amount of money I would need to borrow. I began preparing for
college at the age of 16, working after school and saving for tuition. To cut
cost of tuition, I completed my core credits at a small in-state liberal arts
college, and completed my bachelor’s degree in-state as well. Every year in
addition to applying for FAFSA and Vermont Student Assistance Corporation for
grants, I spent hours writing essays and competing for small scholarships I
found through College Board and independent internet search. To save money on
housing, I served for a year and a half as a Resident Assistant, which also
provided me with incredible growth and leadership opportunities. Furthermore, I
maintained at least one part-time job while in school, utilized all of my
federal work study dollars, and worked full-time on my vacations.
In spite of all of my efforts, I still walked away with a
$20,000 debt. I graduated in 2015, and have spent the last two years working,
completing internships, and continuing my education in order to attend
veterinary school. Last fall I submitted my first applications to veterinary
school and was offered interviews at four of the universities I applied to.
Veterinary school is incredibly competitive, and even if you are offered an
interview, you are not guaranteed entry. The average veterinary school offers
400 interviews for approximately 100 seats. Some colleges receive as many as
1600 applications. In other words, I had to attend each of my interviews. Each
of my interview trips cost a minimum of $500, which I paid for using the money
I had saved since graduation. As a resident of Vermont, I do not have access to
an in-state veterinary school, and will therefore have no choice but to pay
out-of-state tuition. I was accepted to two schools, and finally accepted an
offer at Michigan State University, the cheaper of my options. Michigan State
University has been ranked #5 in the United States for their Doctor of
Veterinary Medicine program, and #12 in the world. Frankly, I am honored to
have been selected to study at such a prestigious university, and I have
finally achieved my lifelong goal of attending veterinary school. While I am
honored and excited beyond belief, I am looking at $57,000 for tuition alone.
As a graduate student, I don’t qualify for federal or state grants, thus I am
searching College Board for scholarships as fast as I can write for them. This
scholarship kindly offered by Activia Training would be enough to cover a full
semester of housing costs, a year of grocery costs, or 5% of my first
semester’s tuition. Now that I have achieved my goal of being admitted to
veterinary school, my next goal is to walk across the graduating stage and
finally become a doctor of veterinary medicine. More than monetary assistance,
the Activia Training scholarship will push me to reach my goal and accomplish
my dreams.
Below is a link to the scholarship page so that you may also
apply for this scholarship or share with friends/family who may qualify. Best
of luck to those of you who apply and HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
