I knew I wanted to study veterinary medicine since I was five. I chose this career because of my love for animals and positive experiences receiving medical care in the hospital and throughout life. Combining both areas of interest will allow me to show appreciation for the two major motivators in my life. I have been interested in animals since childhood. For example, I read about dogs every week in kindergarten. I also organized a service project with my Girl Scout troop in third grade, where we helped clean and organize an animal shelter. In addition to this project, I wrote an informational guide that explained how to handle dogs correctly. In eighth grade, I wrote a guide for other children going through hospitalization based on my experiences for my Girl Scout Silver Award. My goal with this pamphlet was to make it easier to understand hospitalization and make the experience more comfortable. I recently completed my Girl Scout Gold Award Project. I created and designed a website (https://allin4everyone.org) that provides resources to teens and young adults with disabilities and mental health conditions. I chose this idea because, as a disabled teenager, I noticed there weren’t as many resources for disabled teenagers as there were for parents of disabled children or young children, especially with neurodivergent conditions such as autism and ADHD. My knowledge of being a hospital patient and working with animals will enhance my ability to connect with patients and clients. As a veterinarian, I plan to positively impact the world by discovering effective treatments and cures for serious diseases that animals face. This goal is important to me because I lost my first dog to lymphoma a year ago, and there is a history of cancer in my father’s family. Fortunately, finding treatments for animals can open up possibilities for treatments of similar diseases in humans. For example, osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that is ten times more common in dogs than humans, allowing researchers to focus on the canine variant of the disease. The information learned about canine osteosarcoma can then be used for research in human osteosarcoma. “Bone cancer in dogs also bears many similarities to human osteosarcoma, making it ideal for translational research.” [Osteosarcoma Institute, 2022]. I hope to find lifesaving treatments that can benefit multiple species. Having my dogs has given me a deeper understanding of animals' role in society. This prompted me to begin to study the psychology of animal behavior. As a society, we have shifted our focus toward mental health. This shift is a positive change because mental and physical health directly impact each other. However, understanding mental health in animals is a lot more complicated, considering they don’t communicate like we do. Learning about animals' mental health will help us better communicate with our pets, which could strengthen the bond between humans and animals.

I plan to make a positive impact on the world as a veterinarian by discovering effective treatments and cures for serious diseases that animals face. This goal is especially important to me because I lost my first dog to lymphoma a year ago, and there is a history of cancer in my father’s family. Fortunately, finding treatments for animals can open up possibilities for treatments of similar diseases in humans. For example, osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that is ten times more common in dogs than humans, allowing researchers to focus on the canine variant of the disease. The information learned about canine osteosarcoma can then be used for research in human osteosarcoma. “Bone cancer in dogs also bears many similarities to human osteosarcoma, making it ideal for translational research.” [Osteosarcoma Institute, 2022]. I hope to find lifesaving treatments that can benefit multiple species. I knew I wanted to study veterinary medicine since I was five. I chose this career because of my love for animals and positive experiences receiving medical care in the hospital and throughout life. Combining both areas of interest will allow me to show appreciation for the two major motivators in my life. I have been interested in animals since childhood. For example, I read about dogs every week in kindergarten. I also organized a service project with my Girl Scout troop in third grade, where we helped clean and organize an animal shelter. In addition to this project, I wrote an informational guide that explained how to handle dogs correctly. In eighth grade, I wrote a guide for other children going through hospitalization based on my experiences for my Girl Scout Silver Award. My goal with this pamphlet was to make it easier to understand hospitalization and make the experience more comfortable. I recently completed my Girl Scout Gold Award Project. I created and designed a website for this project that provides resources to teens and young adults with disabilities or mental health conditions. I chose this idea because, as a disabled teenager, I noticed there weren’t as many resources for disabled teenagers as there were for parents of disabled children or young children, especially with neurodivergent conditions such as autism and ADHD. My knowledge of being a hospital patient and working with animals will enhance my ability to connect with patients and clients. Having my dogs has given me a deeper understanding of animals' role in our society. This prompted me to begin to study the psychology of animal behavior. As a society, we have shifted our focus toward mental health. This shift is a positive change because mental and physical health directly impact each other. However, understanding mental health in animals is a lot more complicated, considering they don’t communicate like we do. Learning about animals' mental health will help us better communicate with our pets, which could strengthen the bond between humans and animals.

My name is Cora Guerin and I'm an upcoming sophomore in college. I'm studying biology and plan to become a veterinarian. I plan to make a positive impact on the world as a veterinarian by discovering effective treatments and cures for serious diseases that animals face. This goal is especially important to me because I lost my first dog to lymphoma a year ago, and there is a history of cancer in my father’s family. Fortunately, finding treatments for animals can open up possibilities for treatments of similar diseases in humans. For example, osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that is ten times more common in dogs than humans, allowing researchers to focus on the canine variant of the disease. The information learned about canine osteosarcoma can then be used for research in human osteosarcoma. “Bone cancer in dogs also bears many similarities to human osteosarcoma, making it ideal for translational research.” [Osteosarcoma Institute, 2022]. I hope to find lifesaving treatments that can benefit multiple species. I knew I wanted to study veterinary medicine since I was five years old. I chose this career because of my love for animals and the positive experiences I’ve had receiving medical care in the hospital and throughout life. Combining both areas of interest will allow me to show appreciation for the two major motivators in my life. I have been interested in animals since childhood. For example, I read about dogs every week in kindergarten. I also organized a service project with my Girl Scout troop in third grade, where we helped clean and organize an animal shelter. In addition to this project, I wrote an informational guide that explained how to handle dogs correctly. In eighth grade, I wrote a guide for other children going through hospitalization based on my experiences for my Girl Scout Silver Award. My goal with this pamphlet was to make it easier not only to understand hospitalization but also to make the experience more comfortable. I recently completed my Girl Scout Gold Award Project. For this project, I created and designed a website that provides resources to teens and young adults with disabilities or mental health conditions. I chose this idea because, as a disabled teenager, I noticed there weren’t as many resources for disabled teenagers as there were for parents of disabled children or young children, especially with neurodivergent conditions such as autism and ADHD. My knowledge of being a hospital patient and working with animals will enhance my ability to connect with patients and clients alike. Having my dogs has given me a deeper understanding of the role animals play in our society. This prompted me to begin to study the psychology of animal behavior. As a society, we have shifted our focus toward mental health. This shift is a positive change because mental health and physical health directly impact each other. However, understanding mental health in animals is a lot more complicated, considering they don’t communicate in the same way we do. Learning about animals' mental health will help us better communicate with our pets, which could strengthen the bond between humans and animals.

My name is Cora Guerin and I'm an upcoming sophomore in college. I'm studying biology and plan to become a veterinarian. I plan to make a positive impact on the world as a veterinarian by discovering effective treatments and cures for serious diseases that animals face. This goal is especially important to me because I lost my dog to lymphoma almost a year ago, and there is a history of cancer in my father’s family. Fortunately, finding treatments for animals can open up possibilities for treatments of similar diseases in humans. For example, osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that is ten times more common in dogs than humans, allowing researchers to focus on the canine variant of the disease. The information learned about canine osteosarcoma can then be used for research in human osteosarcoma. “Bone cancer in dogs also bears many similarities to human osteosarcoma, making it ideal for translational research.” [Osteosarcoma Institute, 2022]. I hope to find lifesaving treatments that can benefit multiple species. I knew I wanted to study veterinary medicine since I was five years old. I chose this career because of my love for animals and the positive experiences I’ve had receiving medical care in the hospital and throughout life. Combining both areas of interest will allow me to show appreciation for the two major motivators in my life. I have been interested in animals since childhood. For example, I read about dogs every week in kindergarten. I also organized a service project with my Girl Scout troop in third grade, where we helped clean and organize an animal shelter. In addition to this project, I wrote an informational guide that explained how to handle dogs correctly. In eighth grade, I wrote a guide for other children going through hospitalization based on my experiences for my Girl Scout Silver Award. My goal with this pamphlet was to make it easier not only to understand hospitalization but also to make the experience more comfortable. I recently completed my Girl Scout Gold Award Project. For this project, I created and designed a website that provides resources to teens and young adults with disabilities or mental health conditions. I chose this idea because, as a disabled teenager, I noticed there weren’t as many resources for disabled teenagers as there were for parents of disabled children or young children, especially with neurodivergent conditions such as autism and ADHD. My knowledge of being a hospital patient and working with animals will enhance my ability to connect with patients and clients alike. Having my dog has given me a deeper understanding of the role animals play in our society. This prompted me to begin to study the psychology of animal behavior. As a society, we have shifted our focus toward mental health. This shift is a positive change because mental health and physical health directly impact each other. However, understanding mental health in animals is a lot more complicated, considering they don’t communicate in the same way we do. Learning about animals' mental health will help us better communicate with our pets, which could strengthen the bond between humans and animals.

I knew I wanted to study veterinary medicine since I was five years old. I chose this career because of my love for animals and the positive experiences I’ve had receiving medical care in the hospital and throughout life. Combining both areas of interest will allow me to show appreciation for the two major motivators in my life. I have been interested in animals since childhood. For example, I read about dogs every week in kindergarten. I also organized a service project with my Girl Scout troop in third grade, where we helped clean and organize an animal shelter. In addition to this project, I wrote an informational guide that explained how to handle dogs correctly. In eighth grade, I wrote a guide for other children going through hospitalization based on my experiences for my Girl Scout Silver Award. My goal with this pamphlet was to make it easier not only to understand hospitalization but also to make the experience more comfortable. I recently completed my Girl Scout Gold Award Project. For this project, I created and designed a website that provides resources to teens and young adults with disabilities or mental health conditions. I chose this idea because, as a disabled teenager, I noticed there weren’t as many resources for disabled teenagers as there were for parents of disabled children or young children, especially with neurodivergent conditions such as autism and ADHD. My knowledge of being a hospital patient and working with animals will enhance my ability to connect with patients and clients alike. I plan to make a positive impact on the world as a veterinarian by discovering effective treatments and cures for serious diseases that animals face. This goal is especially important to me because I lost my dog to lymphoma almost a year ago, and there is a history of cancer in my father’s family. Fortunately, finding treatments for animals can open up possibilities for treatments of similar diseases in humans. For example, osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that is ten times more common in dogs than humans, allowing researchers to focus on the canine variant of the disease. The information learned about canine osteosarcoma can then be used for research in human osteosarcoma. “Bone cancer in dogs also bears many similarities to human osteosarcoma, making it ideal for translational research.” [Osteosarcoma Institute, 2022]. I hope to find lifesaving treatments that can benefit multiple species. Having my dog has given me a deeper understanding of the role animals play in our society. This prompted me to begin to study the psychology of animal behavior. As a society, we have shifted our focus toward mental health. This shift is a positive change because mental health and physical health directly impact each other. However, understanding mental health in animals is a lot more complicated, considering they don’t communicate in the same way we do. Learning about animals' mental health will help us better communicate with our pets, which could strengthen the bond between humans and animals.

I knew I wanted to study veterinary medicine since I was five years old. I chose this career because of my love for animals and the positive experiences I’ve had receiving medical care in the hospital and throughout life. Combining both areas of interest will allow me to show appreciation for the two major motivators in my life. I have been interested in animals since childhood. For example, I read about dogs every week in kindergarten. I also organized a service project with my Girl Scout troop in third grade, where we helped clean and organize an animal shelter. In addition to this project, I wrote an informational guide that explained how to handle dogs correctly. In eighth grade, I wrote a guide for other children going through hospitalization based on my experiences for my Girl Scout Silver Award. My goal with this pamphlet was to make it easier not only to understand hospitalization but also to make the experience more comfortable. I recently completed my Girl Scout Gold Award Project. For this project, I created and designed a website that provides resources to teens and young adults with disabilities or mental health conditions. I chose this idea because, as a disabled teenager, I noticed there weren’t as many resources for disabled teenagers as there were for parents of disabled children or young children, especially with neurodivergent conditions such as autism and ADHD. My knowledge of being a hospital patient and working with animals will enhance my ability to connect with patients and clients alike. I plan to make a positive impact on the world as a veterinarian by discovering effective treatments and cures for serious diseases that animals face. This goal is especially important to me because I lost my dog to lymphoma almost a year ago, and there is a history of cancer in my father’s family. Fortunately, finding treatments for animals can open up possibilities for treatments of similar diseases in humans. For example, osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that is ten times more common in dogs than humans, allowing researchers to focus on the canine variant of the disease. The information learned about canine osteosarcoma can then be used for research in human osteosarcoma. “Bone cancer in dogs also bears many similarities to human osteosarcoma, making it ideal for translational research.” [Osteosarcoma Institute, 2022]. I hope to find lifesaving treatments that can benefit multiple species. Having my dog has given me a deeper understanding of the role animals play in our society. This prompted me to begin to study the psychology of animal behavior. As a society, we have shifted our focus toward mental health. This shift is a positive change because mental health and physical health directly impact each other. However, understanding mental health in animals is a lot more complicated, considering they don’t communicate in the same way we do. Learning about animals' mental health will help us better communicate with our pets, which could strengthen the bond between humans and animals.

I knew I wanted to study veterinary medicine since I was five years old. I chose this career because of my love for animals and the positive experiences I’ve had receiving medical care in the hospital and throughout life. Combining both areas of interest will allow me to show appreciation for the two major motivators in my life. I have been interested in animals since childhood. For example, I read about dogs every week in kindergarten. I also organized a service project with my Girl Scout troop in third grade, where we helped clean and organize an animal shelter. In addition to this project, I wrote an informational guide that explained how to handle dogs correctly. In eighth grade, I wrote a guide for other children going through hospitalization based on my experiences for my Girl Scout Silver Award. My goal with this pamphlet was to make it easier not only to understand hospitalization but also to make the experience more comfortable. I recently completed my Girl Scout Gold Award Project. For this project, I created and designed a website that provides resources to teens and young adults with disabilities or mental health conditions. I chose this idea because, as a disabled teenager, I noticed there weren’t as many resources for disabled teenagers as there were for parents of disabled children or young children, especially with neurodivergent conditions such as autism and ADHD. My knowledge of being a hospital patient and working with animals will enhance my ability to connect with patients and clients alike. I plan to make a positive impact on the world as a veterinarian by discovering effective treatments and cures for serious diseases that animals face. This goal is especially important to me because I lost my dog to lymphoma almost a year ago, and there is a history of cancer in my father’s family. Fortunately, finding treatments for animals can open up possibilities for treatments of similar diseases in humans. For example, osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that is ten times more common in dogs than humans, allowing researchers to focus on the canine variant of the disease. The information learned about canine osteosarcoma can then be used for research in human osteosarcoma. “Bone cancer in dogs also bears many similarities to human osteosarcoma, making it ideal for translational research.” [Osteosarcoma Institute, 2022]. I hope to find lifesaving treatments that can benefit multiple species. Having my dog has given me a deeper understanding of the role animals play in our society. This prompted me to begin to study the psychology of animal behavior. As a society, we have shifted our focus toward mental health. This shift is a positive change because mental health and physical health directly impact each other. However, understanding mental health in animals is a lot more complicated, considering they don’t communicate in the same way we do. Learning about animals' mental health will help us better communicate with our pets, which could strengthen the bond between humans and animals.

I knew I wanted to study veterinary medicine since I was five years old. I chose this career because of my love for animals and the positive experiences I’ve had receiving medical care in the hospital and throughout life. Combining both areas of interest will allow me to show appreciation for the two major motivators in my life. I have been interested in animals since childhood. For example, I read about dogs every week in kindergarten. I also organized a service project with my Girl Scout troop in third grade, where we helped clean and organize an animal shelter. In addition to this project, I wrote an informational guide that explained how to handle dogs correctly. In eighth grade, I wrote a guide for other children going through hospitalization based on my experiences for my Girl Scout Silver Award. My goal with this pamphlet was to make it easier not only to understand hospitalization but also to make the experience more comfortable. I recently completed my Girl Scout Gold Award Project. For this project, I created and designed a website that provides resources to teens and young adults with disabilities or mental health conditions. I chose this idea because, as a disabled teenager, I noticed there weren’t as many resources for disabled teenagers as there were for parents of disabled children or young children, especially with neurodivergent conditions such as autism and ADHD. My knowledge of being a hospital patient and working with animals will enhance my ability to connect with patients and clients alike. I plan to make a positive impact on the world as a veterinarian by discovering effective treatments and cures for serious diseases that animals face. This goal is especially important to me because I lost my dog to lymphoma almost a year ago, and there is a history of cancer in my father’s family. Fortunately, finding treatments for animals can open up possibilities for treatments of similar diseases in humans. For example, osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that is ten times more common in dogs than humans, allowing researchers to focus on the canine variant of the disease. The information learned about canine osteosarcoma can then be used for research in human osteosarcoma. “Bone cancer in dogs also bears many similarities to human osteosarcoma, making it ideal for translational research.” [Osteosarcoma Institute, 2022]. I hope to find lifesaving treatments that can benefit multiple species. Having my dog has given me a deeper understanding of the role animals play in our society. This prompted me to begin to study the psychology of animal behavior. As a society, we have shifted our focus toward mental health. This shift is a positive change because mental health and physical health directly impact each other. However, understanding mental health in animals is a lot more complicated, considering they don’t communicate in the same way we do. Learning about animals' mental health will help us better communicate with our pets, which could strengthen the bond between humans and animals.

I've lost a lot of people and animals in my life. My first significant loss was when my grandmother died of ovarian cancer. I was eight years old at the time. My grandmother was a strong woman. Not only did she raise six kids, but she also managed her illness with dignity. She taught me to see beauty in our everyday world and helped me become the creative person I am today. Another significant loss in my life wasn't a death but rather a renewal of my life. I received a heart transplant in November 2016. While I am grateful for this gift of life, I can't help but grieve over it as well. One of the many reasons for this grief is that someone had to die for me to live. The other part of my grief is admitting how scary the experience was. I realize now that I was dying before the transplant, which is hard to comprehend. Recovering from the surgery was also a rough experience, and staying in the hospital for so long harmed my social skills. Fortunately, my hospitalization had some positive effects as well. For example, being hospitalized taught me to be more independent and sparked my interest in medical biology. My organizational skills improved because of the discipline required to make up missed schoolwork for appointments. Hospitalization has also made me more compassionate toward others. These experiences prepared me for a career in medicine. My most recent loss was the death of my dog, Waggles. She had lymphoma, and we spent the last two months spoiling and spending as much time with her as possible. In the end, we had to put her down. It was a tough decision but reminded me her quality of life was most important. I miss her, but this experience has further inspired me to become a veterinarian. I shadowed at a veterinary clinic for a school project while she was ill. I came to appreciate the time I had with my dog and the effort veterinarians put into caring for animals. I want to help find a cure for cancer in both humans and animals. I plan to become a veterinarian so I can achieve this goal. All of the loved ones I lost are still with me in spirit, and they empower me to study hard so I can become the best veterinarian and person I can be.

I possess an interest in and compassion for animals that first stemmed when I was an infant. My mom would take me to the dog park as I could not play with other children indoors due to my fragile condition. I was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, meaning my heart was missing the left ventricle. As I grew up, I had palliative surgeries and eventually a heart transplant; being in the hospital gave me an understanding of medicine from a patient perspective. It also allowed me to appreciate the company therapy dogs would bring during their visits. In my Kindergarten year, I would check out a book about dogs at the library every week. I knew then that I wanted to be a veterinarian, even though I had not yet realized what that would entail. However, as I grew up, I realized the heavy workload would be worth the time and effort. When I was nine years old, I created a Girl Scout badge about Pet Rescue, where my troop helped out at an animal shelter. We did not expect to be doing the amount of work we did, as we did much physical manual labor. Part of this badge included a pamphlet on how to care for and approach dogs properly. Recently, I started job shadowing at a local vet clinic. I am not allowed to perform examinations as I am under 18, but I observed the procedures and comforted the pets and their families during visits. As a veterinarian, I plan to positively impact the animal world by discovering effective treatments and cures for serious diseases that animals face. Finding treatments for animals will open up possibilities for treatments of similar conditions in humans. For example, osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that is ten times more common in dogs than humans, allowing researchers to focus on the canine variant of the disease. The information learned about canine osteosarcoma can then be used for research in human osteosarcoma, "Bone cancer in dogs also bears many similarities to human osteosarcoma, making it ideal for translational research." [Osteosarcoma Institute, 2022]. I am planning to major in biology so I can study veterinary medicine. This would involve providing animals with medical care. I chose this path because of my love for animals and my positive experiences while receiving medical care in the hospital and throughout life. Combining both areas of interest will allow me to show appreciation for the two motivators in my life.

I am pursuing a career path in veterinary medicine. I chose this path not only because of my love for animals but also because of the positive experiences I’ve had receiving medical care in the hospital and throughout life. Combining both areas of interest will allow me to show appreciation for the two major motivators in my life. I have been interested in animals since childhood. In fact, in kindergarten, I read about dogs every week. I also organized a service project with my Girl Scout troop in third grade, where we helped clean and organize an animal shelter. In addition to this project, I wrote an informational guide that explained how to handle dogs correctly. In eighth grade, I wrote a guide for other children going through hospitalization based on my experiences for my Girl Scout Silver Award. My goal with this pamphlet was to make it easier not only to understand hospitalization but also to make the experience more comfortable. I am currently working on my Girl Scout Gold Award Project. For this project, I am creating and coding an app that helps autistic teenagers manage their daily life. I chose this idea because, being an autistic teen myself, I noticed there aren’t as many resources for teenagers with autism as there are for children with autism and their parents. My knowledge of being a hospital patient and working with animals will enhance my ability to connect with patients and clients alike. I plan to make a positive impact on the world as a veterinarian by discovering effective treatments and cures for serious diseases that animals face. Finding treatments for animals will open up possibilities for treatments of similar diseases in humans. For example, osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that is ten times more common in dogs than humans, allowing researchers to focus on the canine variant of the disease. The information learned about canine osteosarcoma can then be used for research in human osteosarcoma. “Bone cancer in dogs also bears many similarities to human osteosarcoma, making it ideal for translational research.” [Osteosarcoma Institute, 2022]. Having my dog has given me a deeper understanding of the role animals play in our society. This prompted me to begin to study the psychology of animal behavior. As a society, we have shifted our focus toward mental health. This shift is a positive change because mental health and physical health directly impact each other. However, understanding mental health in animals is a lot more complicated, considering they don’t communicate in the same way we do. Learning about animals' mental health will help us better communicate with our pets, which could strengthen the bond between humans and animals.