My name is Andyn Mulgrew-Truitt and I am currently enrolled in a post-baccalaureate, pre-vet certificate program at University of Alaska Anchorage. My goal is to complete this certificate and apply to veterinary schools in Washington, Alaska, Oregon, and Colorado. I am pursuing a career in veterinary medicine because it allows me to be an educated advocate for animals. Growing up in Alaska where veterinary care is incredibly limited people tend to believe that they know what’s right for their pets without any training or input from a veterinarian or vet tech. I have seen people have to go to the extreme of putting their own dogs to sleep as humanely as possible because they could not access a vet or the vet could not take an emergency in. In a state with as many companion and working animals as Alaska I believe that the reality we live in now is not one we need to continue living in. I plan to attend veterinary school and return home to Alaska where even just one more vet makes a noticeable difference. While working for a veterinary clinic in Juneau, Alaska in 2023 I came face to face with the difficulties of accessing veterinary care in Southeast Alaska. Especially if you live in a village or small town. At least four to five times a month the clinic received calls from small communities such as Hoonah, Wrangell, and Yakutat involving emergent situations. These communities are remote and impossible to access on an emergency basis. Owners have to fly their pets into a city with veterinary care options to be seen. Often there is not enough time or resources for owners to do this. My goal is to complete veterinary school and return to Southeast Alaska as a veterinarian who spends a portion of the year traveling between the islands and communities. It is my hope that some of these emergencies could be avoided if owners had access to an annual exam they did not need to put their pet on a plane to acquire. This service would bring accessible veterinary care to communities that have always been excluded due to size or accessibility. I was born and raised in Alaska and have always wanted to pursue veterinary medicine. After two years of firsthand experience at a clinic in Alaskas capital city, the amount of patients that only see a vet in an emergency situation, if they can be seen at all, is astounding. This is a way I am able to give back to a community who has always supported me in sports, music, and education. To be able to give back to my community, while advocating for animals, and making as much of a difference as I can, would be a genuine dream come true. While achieving my B.S. in biology at Lafayette college, I was a member of the varsity swimming team all four years as well as a member of Precision Step Team and the Association of Black Colligates. In Juneau I am a member of the Black Awareness Association

My name is Andyn Mulgrew-Truitt and I am currently enrolled in a post-baccalaureate, pre-vet certificate program at University of Alaska Anchorage. My goal is to complete this certificate and apply to veterinary schools in Washington, Alaska, Oregon, and Colorado. I am pursuing a career in veterinary medicine because it allows me to be an educated advocate for animals. Growing up in Alaska where veterinary care is incredibly limited people tend to believe that they know what’s right for their pets without any training or input from a veterinarian or vet tech. I have seen people go to the extreme of putting their own dogs to sleep as humanely as possible because they could not access a vet or the vet could not take an emergency in. In a state with as many companion and working animals as Alaska I believe that the reality we live in now is not one we need to continue living in. I plan to attend veterinary school and return home to Alaska where even just one more vet makes a noticeable difference. While working for a veterinary clinic in Juneau, Alaska in 2023 I came face to face with the difficulties of accessing veterinary care in Southeast Alaska. Especially if you live in a village or small town. At least four to five times a month the clinic received calls from small communities such as Hoonah, Wrangell, and Yakutat involving emergent situations. These communities are remote and impossible to access on an emergency basis. Owners have to fly their pets into a city with veterinary care options to be seen. Often there is not enough time or resources for owners to do this. My goal is to complete veterinary school and return to Southeast Alaska as a veterinarian who spends a portion of the year traveling between the islands and communities. It is my hope that some of these emergencies could be avoided if owners had access to an annual exam they did not need to put their pet on a plane to acquire. This service would bring accessible veterinary care to communities that have always been excluded due to size or accessibility. I was born and raised in Alaska and have always wanted to pursue veterinary medicine. After two years of firsthand experience at a clinic in Alaskas capital city, the amount of patients that only see a vet in an emergency situation, if they can be seen at all, is astounding. This is a way I am able to give back to a community who has always supported me in sports, music, and education. To be able to give back to my community, while advocating for animals, and making as much of a difference as I can, would be a genuine dream come true. While achieving my B.S. in biology at Lafayette college, I was a member of the varsity swimming team all four years as well as a member of Precision Step Team and the Association of Black Colligates. In Juneau I am a member of the Black Awareness Association