My deep passion and love for animals stems far beyond embracing their cute and cuddly nature. Since childhood, I’ve had a strong desire to help animals and could not imagine myself in any other career than in veterinary medicine. I’ve always wanted to be a veterinarian, but I truly realized that this is my calling after all the diverse experiences I have had in this field so far in my journey to becoming Doctor Chorba. While assisting Dr. Bendix, I am fascinated by his thorough work, as he performs comprehensive exams for every pet. Watching Dr. Bendix piece each case together excites me; I enjoy bringing my knowledge from the classroom to the clinic to understand his thought process in a diagnosis. Dr. Bendix does a great job at being thorough with his clients, which has shown me that it’s important for the owners to understand your ideas. The bond between the veterinarian and the pet owner has allowed me to appreciate client interactions. At the AVETS emergency clinic I interned with for a summer, I was surprisingly drawn to the pressure the veterinarians were under to make key split-second decisions and imagined myself in their shoes. With leadership comes responsibility and I’m eager to take it on. Though I’m a leader by nature, I value teamwork and am happy to play my part alongside others. During my time with Youngwood Rehabilitation wildlife center, there were multiple tasks to accomplish daily, and I enjoy being able to work with fellow volunteers to rehabilitate the animals back to the wild. Most importantly, this experience has taught me the value of communication amongst a team so we can get the job done carefully and efficiently. While working with horses, goats, and chickens, I learned to appreciate other purposes that animals serve in our communities. Though I love working with household pets, I am interested in caring for these animals as well. Keeping an open mind is important in veterinary medicine and I strive to continue this no matter which area of the field I go into. With all these incredibly valuable experiences I have had throughout my journey to becoming a veterinarian, I know that it is my passion to follow in the footsteps of all those who have taught me along the way and truly change the world for the animal innocently looking to me for help. I know that this scholarship will allow me to focus more on adding to my experiences outside of the classroom; I will use the funds to attend extracurricular activities and conferences to widen the scope of my knowledge and become a better, well-rounded individual as I head into my career. These funds will allow me to pursue these endeavors, and I know would not be able without the funding. I want to be engaged with veterinary medicine in a way that the classroom cannot teach me, and this scholarship will allow me to do so.

My deep passion and love for animals stems far beyond embracing their cute and cuddly nature. Since childhood, I’ve had a strong desire to help animals and could not imagine myself in any other career than in veterinary medicine. I’ve always wanted to be a veterinarian, but I truly realized that this is my calling after all the diverse experiences I have had in this field so far in my journey to becoming Doctor Chorba. While assisting Dr. Bendix, I am fascinated by his thorough work, as he performs comprehensive exams for every pet. Watching Dr. Bendix piece each case together excites me; I enjoy bringing my knowledge from the classroom to the clinic to understand his thought process in a diagnosis. Dr. Bendix does a great job at being thorough with his clients, which has shown me that it’s important for the owners to understand your ideas. The bond between the veterinarian and the pet owner has allowed me to appreciate client interactions. At the AVETS emergency clinic I interned with for a summer, I was surprisingly drawn to the pressure the veterinarians were under to make key split-second decisions and imagined myself in their shoes. With leadership comes responsibility and I’m eager to take it on. Though I’m a leader by nature, I value teamwork and am happy to play my part alongside others. During my time with Youngwood Rehabilitation wildlife center, there were multiple tasks to accomplish daily, and I enjoy being able to work with fellow volunteers to rehabilitate the animals back to the wild. Most importantly, this experience has taught me the value of communication amongst a team so we can get the job done carefully and efficiently. While working with horses, goats, and chickens, I learned to appreciate other purposes that animals serve in our communities. Though I love working with household pets, I am interested in caring for these animals as well. Keeping an open mind is important in veterinary medicine and I strive to continue this no matter which area of the field I go into. With all these incredibly valuable experiences I have had throughout my journey to becoming a veterinarian, I know that it is my passion to follow in the footsteps of all those who have taught me along the way and truly change the world for the animal innocently looking to me for help. I know that this scholarship will allow me to focus more on adding to my experiences outside of the classroom; I will use the funds to attend extracurricular activities and conferences to widen the scope of my knowledge and become a better, well-rounded individual as I head into my career. These funds will allow me to pursue these endeavors that will enable me to become a well-versed veterinarian no matter what part of this field I decide to pursue. I want to be engaged with veterinary medicine in a way that the classroom cannot teach me, and this scholarship will allow me to do so.

My deep passion and love for animals stems far beyond embracing their cute and cuddly nature. Since childhood, I’ve had a strong desire to help animals and could not imagine myself in any other career than in veterinary medicine. I’ve always wanted to be a veterinarian, but I truly realized that this is my calling after all the diverse experiences I have had in this field so far in my journey to becoming Doctor Chorba. While assisting Dr. Bendix, I am fascinated by his thorough work, as he performs comprehensive exams for every pet. Watching Dr. Bendix piece each case together excites me; I enjoy bringing my knowledge from the classroom to the clinic to understand his thought process in a diagnosis. Dr. Bendix does a great job at being thorough with his clients, which has shown me that it’s important for the owners to understand your ideas. The bond between the veterinarian and the pet owner has allowed me to appreciate client interactions. At the AVETS emergency clinic I interned with for a summer, I was surprisingly drawn to the pressure the veterinarians were under to make key split-second decisions and imagined myself in their shoes. With leadership comes responsibility and I’m eager to take it on. Though I’m a leader by nature, I value teamwork and am happy to play my part alongside others. During my time with Youngwood Rehabilitation wildlife center, there were multiple tasks to accomplish daily, and I enjoy being able to work with fellow volunteers to rehabilitate the animals back to the wild. Most importantly, this experience has taught me the value of communication amongst a team so we can get the job done carefully and efficiently. While working with horses, goats, and chickens, I learned to appreciate other purposes that animals serve in our communities. Though I love working with household pets, I am interested in caring for these animals as well. Keeping an open mind is important in veterinary medicine and I strive to continue this no matter which area of the field I go into. With all these incredibly valuable experiences I have had throughout my journey to becoming a veterinarian, I know that it is my passion to follow in the footsteps of all those who have taught me along the way and truly change the world for the animal innocently looking to me for help. I know that this scholarship will allow me to focus more on adding to my experiences outside of the classroom; I will use the funds to attend extracurricular activities and conferences to widen the scope of my knowledge and become a better, well-rounded individual as I head into my career. These funds will allow me to pursue these endeavors, and I know would not be able without the funding. I want to be engaged with veterinary medicine in a way that the classroom cannot teach me, and this scholarship will allow me to do so.

Looking back, my four-year-old self would have been proud of the person I am today; I am living my dream as a third year veterinary student at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Growing up, I have always had a passion to help animals. I started my own "walk-in clinic" in my childhood home taking care of all my friends' stuffed animals when they were sick. Once we adopted our first family dog, Pepper, I instantly knew that I wanted to make a difference in his life and learn about him in every way that I could. I started attending his veterinary visits with my family at just 5 years old, and I can remember his veterinarian offering me to help. As I grew older, I became more involved in his life and learned more about preventatives, vaccines, and diet. It was fun to learn while making an everlasting impact on my own pet's life. As Pepper got older, he eventually was diagnosed with a splenic mass that was causing him all sorts of problems. I was sad that he was not well, but still curious about his illness so that I could help him however much I could. I found some literature about splenic masses in canines and stumbled upon the unfortunate truth about his disease: hemangiosarcoma was a top differential. Pepper had his good days and bad days, but he hung on and lived a great life for the next few months after his diagnosis. When he passed away, I told myself that I wanted to continue to make differences in animals' lives the same way I cared for my own pet, even during the most difficult of times. This leads me to where I am today. Pepper is the reason why I am in veterinary school and I vow to provide the best care to each and every one of my patients like they are my own. Veterinary school allows me to dive in deep to the pathophysiology of each disease and this is was truly excites me. I currently work in the emergency and critical care service of our teaching hospital and we have a lot of patients that come in needing critical care. A lot of the times, we see patients with the same disease that Pepper had and I know in my heart that I am going to provide a great deal of relief to my patient, even if it is just supportive care. Never did I think that emergency and critical care would be so thrilling to me, but taking care of pets during the most difficult and stressful of times is very rewarding. Though we cannot save every pet, I know in my heart that I am doing my best to be there for every patient, even if they are spending their last moments with me in the ICU.

Looking back, my four-year-old self would have been proud of the person I am today; I am living my dream as a third year veterinary student at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Growing up, I have always had a passion to help animals. I started my own "walk-in clinic" in my childhood home taking care of all my friends' stuffed animals when they were sick. Once we adopted our first family dog, Pepper, I instantly knew that I wanted to make a difference in his life and learn about him in every way that I could. I started attending his veterinary visits with my family at just 5 years old, and I can remember his veterinarian offering me to help. As I grew older, I became more involved in his life and learned more about preventatives, vaccines, and diet. It was fun to learn while making an everlasting impact on my own pet's life. As Pepper got older, he eventually was diagnosed with a splenic mass that was causing him all sorts of problems. I was sad that he was not well, but still curious about his illness so that I could help him however much I could. I found some literature about splenic masses in canines and stumbled upon the unfortunate truth about his disease: hemangiosarcoma was a top differential. Pepper had his good days and bad days, but he hung on and lived a great life for the next few months after his diagnosis. When he passed away, I told myself that I wanted to continue to make differences in animals' lives the same way I cared for my own pet, even during the most difficult of times. This leads me to where I am today. Pepper is the reason why I am in veterinary school and I vow to provide the best care to each and every one of my patients like they are my own. Though I miss him a lot, I have since adopted Max and Olive and they are my favorite reason to come home after a long day at class. Max was a rescue from the same shelter that I adopted Pepper from, but Olive was adopted from our vivarium of veterinary research animals. I am a volunteer at the facility and just love spending time with all the dogs and their litters! They have a lot of purebred Beagle dogs that are just a joy to work with. I know their importance to not only this profession, but to the mission of One Health and value their genetics for the betterment of this profession and the world. When bred with care and careful attention to their genetics, these purebred Beagles make wonderful dogs not only for research purposes, but great family pets when they are retired and adopted out. The vivarium has a great team that ensures their breeding process is smooth and they delivery healthy puppies, which is important when choosing to breed dogs. I met Olive at the vivarium while taking care of her own mother, Dolly. Both Olive and Dolly are such well-mannered and wonderful dogs to work with and I just knew that I would be coming home with a new friend for Max the day I found out she was up for adoption. While I never thought I would have been able to adopt another pet after Pepper, I know that his legacy is what drives me to want to help other pets in need and as a future veterinarian, I strive to take care of every pet like they are Pepper, Max, and Olive.

My name is Danielle Chorba and I have wanted to become a veterinarian since I was a young girl. My deep passion and love for animals stems far beyond embracing their cute and cuddly nature. Since childhood, I’ve had a strong desire to help animals and could not imagine myself in any other career than in veterinary medicine. As a resident of North Huntingdon Township, I started working at my local clinic, Norwin Veterinary Hospital, as a college sophomore to gain valuable veterinary skills needed for my future profession, but also to give back to my own community by serving the animals in our area. I’ve been working at this wonderful veterinary hospital for three years now and truly value the experiences I have gained while here. While assisting Dr. Bendix, I am fascinated by his thorough work, as he performs comprehensive exams for every pet. Unfortunately, pets are unable to state their symptoms, so veterinarians must rely on the pet owners to give a complete history of the patient. A good veterinarian, like Dr. Bendix, will be sure to clearly communicate with the client to obtain all the information necessary to make a proper diagnosis. A complete and thorough examination of each pet is also crucial. If a pet presents with an ear infection, I will check over the entire animal to ensure that there is nothing else systemically going wrong that could potentially relate to the ear issue. Watching Dr. Bendix piece each case together excites me; I enjoy bringing my knowledge from the classroom to the clinic to understand his thought process in a diagnosis. Dr. Bendix does a great job at being thorough with his clients, which has shown me that it’s important for the owners to understand your ideas. I always see him drawing out diagrams of things such as diabetic glucose curves and explaining his knee model to clients whose pets have a torn knee ligament; he does this so that the clients better understand the diseases their pets have and the treatments necessary for them to feel better. The bond between the veterinarian and the pet owner has allowed me to appreciate these client interactions. Dr. Bendix lays out all the cards on the table, giving pet owners options when it comes to which treatment method they would like to pursue. Sometimes, clients do not have the financial capability to run the expensive bloodwork or undergo chemotherapy. At Norwin Veterinary Hospital, I have been exposed to clients who will do absolutely anything for their pets and some who are just trying to keep their pet comfortable for as long as they possibly can. It is important to give that pet my best no matter which treatment option the clients opt for. As a future veterinarian, I will work with my clients so that their pets are getting quality care within the budget of the family. I aspire to one day follow Dr. Bendix’s footsteps and use all the knowledge and insight he teaches me every day in my future practice. I want to make a difference in the lives of not only my patients, but their owners as well. While saving one patient may not change the whole world, it will surely change the world for that pet and their owners.

My name is Danielle Chorba and I have wanted to become a veterinarian since I was a young girl. My deep passion and love for animals stem far beyond embracing their cute and cuddly nature. Since childhood, I’ve had a strong desire to help animals and could not imagine myself in any other career than veterinary medicine. As a resident of North Huntingdon Township, I started working at my local clinic, Norwin Veterinary Hospital, as a college sophomore to gain valuable veterinary skills needed for my future profession, but also to give back to my own community by serving the animals in our area. I’ve been working at this wonderful veterinary hospital for three years now and truly value the experiences I have gained while here. While assisting Dr. Bendix, I am fascinated by his thorough work, as he performs comprehensive exams for every pet. Unfortunately, pets are unable to state their symptoms, so veterinarians must rely on the pet owners to give a complete history of the patient. A good veterinarian, like Dr. Bendix, will be sure to clearly communicate with the client to obtain all the information necessary to make a proper diagnosis. A complete and thorough examination of each pet is also crucial. If a pet presents with an ear infection, I will check over the entire animal to ensure that there is nothing else systemically going wrong that could potentially relate to the ear issue. Watching Dr. Bendix piece each case together excites me; I enjoy bringing my knowledge from the classroom to the clinic to understand his thought process in a diagnosis. Dr. Bendix does a great job at being thorough with his clients, which has shown me that it’s important for the owners to understand your ideas. I always see him drawing out diagrams of things such as diabetic glucose curves and explaining his knee model to clients whose pets have torn knee ligaments; he does this so that the clients better understand the diseases their pets have and the treatments necessary for them to feel better. The bond between the veterinarian and the pet owner has allowed me to appreciate these client interactions. Dr. Bendix lays out all the cards on the table, giving pet owners options when it comes to which treatment method they would like to pursue. Sometimes, clients do not have the financial capability to run the expensive bloodwork or undergo chemotherapy. At Norwin Veterinary Hospital, I have been exposed to clients who will do absolutely anything for their pets and some who are just trying to keep their pet comfortable for as long as they possibly can. It is important to give that pet my best no matter which treatment option the clients opt for. As a future veterinarian, I will work with my clients so that their pets are getting quality care within the budget of the family. I aspire to one day follow Dr. Bendix’s footsteps and use all the knowledge and insight he teaches me every day in my future practice. I want to make a difference in the lives of not only my patients but their owners as well. While saving one patient may not change the whole world, it will surely change the world for that pet and their owners.

One Health is an approach that allows for the collaboration between human health, environmental health, and animal health. All aspects of One Health come together to combat issues regarding all three of these areas so that the responses to the problems at hand are the best that they can be. As a future veterinarian, I will play a vital role in One Health by caring for animals in my future practice in Pennsylvania. Though I am primarily providing care to animals, a lot of my efforts also play a role in helping the environment as well. Much of Pennsylvania's waters are harmed by pollution, which is an issue that is near to my heart. Growing up, my dad and I would enjoy fishing together and we would talk about all the various forms of life in the lake we were fishing in. As an avid animal lover for most of my life, I would always ask my dad what happened to the fish that were laying out of the water. He would point to the murky waters filled with trash and I quickly learned why so many fish turned up along the lakeside. Not only are our waters being polluted by trash, but also by harmful chemical and biological wastes that make their way to our beautiful lakes and other waterways. As a future veterinarian, it is my duty to ensure that any wastes that are used in practice are properly disposed of. I have shadowed several veterinarians who would dispose of expired drugs or biological specimens down the drain or in the trash without thinking of the consequences of doing so. Many are ignorant of the harm they are doing by improper disposal and do not see the impacts it has on our environment. Often, it can be an extra step or even an extra expense to properly dispose of these harmful chemicals and biological wastes, but it makes a big difference to our environment. In my future veterinary career, I will make sure that my entire staff understands the environmental impacts we have in our field so that we can truly make a difference. It is important for every veterinary hospital to be educated in One Health so that we have the resources and tools we need to conserve the environment. I would love to see the beauty of Pennsylvania's natural environment continue to shine through my efforts as a veterinarian.

As a veterinary student at Michigan State University, I am exposed to a wide array of different types of animals. While I enjoy spending time learning and caring for all of them, large animal medicine really speaks me. I went into veterinary school with the mindset that I would exclusively work with small animals since that was all I had experience with prior to starting school, but I kept an open mind and now my interests have shifted into wanting to work with beef cattle. In my course called Animals in Society, I learned the ins and outs of a typical beef cattle operation. My professor stressed the importance of the role these animals play in One Health, as humans consume the beef from our beef cattle. We do not want these animals falling ill, as it may pose a threat to the people who consume this meat. A lot of what veterinarians do in the large animal world is preventing disease before it becomes a problem. Being sure that the beef cattle have the proper vaccinations and preventatives are essential to keeping disease out of the picture. As a future veterinarian, I want to ensure that the beef cattle on the farms are kept up with current vaccines so it does not lead to a potential public health issue down the road. When the beef cattle fall ill, it is important to make sure they are being treated with the proper medications so they do not spread the disease to other beef cattle on site. Containing the illness at the source is imperative so that other beef cattle at other farms are not coming into contact with the pathogens. We want to limit the source of infection so that the beef does not become contaminated when it hits the grocery stores. Large animal medicine plays a large role in public health, as we want to stop the spread of disease before it becomes zoonotic amongst other species who come in contact, such as humans. Large animal veterinarians must educate their clients on best biosecurity practices so they can be a part of the One Health initiative. Other factors such as nutrition, housing, and proper socialization will also play a role in the animal's health and must be taken just as seriously. The farmers must recognize these efforts to ensure that they are keeping their animals as healthy as they can be. This will not only benefit public health efforts, but also their farming production, leading to a more successful operation. As a new veterinary student, I never thought I would see myself wanting to work in large animal medicine, but after working with these animals hands-on and learning about how they play a role in public health, I know that I want to take care of these animals and make an impact on the world in which we live as an advocate for One Health.

My name is Danielle Chorba and I have wanted to become a veterinarian since I was a young girl. My deep passion and love for animals stems far beyond embracing their cute and cuddly nature. Since childhood, I’ve had a strong desire to help animals and could not imagine myself in any other career than in veterinary medicine. As a resident of North Huntingdon Township, I started working at my local clinic, Norwin Veterinary Hospital, as a college sophomore to gain valuable veterinary skills needed for my future profession, but also to give back to my own community by serving the animals in our area. I’ve been working at this wonderful veterinary hospital for three years now and truly value the experiences I have gained while here. While assisting Dr. Bendix, I am fascinated by his thorough work, as he performs comprehensive exams for every pet. Unfortunately, pets are unable to state their symptoms, so veterinarians must rely on the pet owners to give a complete history of the patient. A good veterinarian, like Dr. Bendix, will be sure to clearly communicate with the client to obtain all the information necessary to make a proper diagnosis. A complete and thorough examination of each pet is also crucial. If a pet presents with an ear infection, I will check over the entire animal to ensure that there is nothing else systemically going wrong that could potentially relate to the ear issue. Watching Dr. Bendix piece each case together excites me; I enjoy bringing my knowledge from the classroom to the clinic to understand his thought process in a diagnosis. Dr. Bendix does a great job at being thorough with his clients, which has shown me that it’s important for the owners to understand your ideas. I always see him drawing out diagrams of things such as diabetic glucose curves and explaining his knee model to clients whose pets have a torn knee ligament; he does this so that the clients better understand the diseases their pets have and the treatments necessary for them to feel better. The bond between the veterinarian and the pet owner has allowed me to appreciate these client interactions. Dr. Bendix lays out all the cards on the table, giving pet owners options when it comes to which treatment method they would like to pursue. Sometimes, clients do not have the financial capability to run the expensive bloodwork or undergo chemotherapy. At Norwin Veterinary Hospital, I have been exposed to clients who will do absolutely anything for their pets and some who are just trying to keep their pet comfortable for as long as they possibly can. It is important to give that pet my best no matter which treatment option the clients opt for. As a future veterinarian, I will work with my clients so that their pets are getting quality care within the budget of the family. I aspire to one day follow Dr. Bendix’s footsteps and use all the knowledge and insight he teaches me every day in my future practice. I want to make a difference in the lives of not only my patients, but their owners as well. While saving one patient may not change the whole world, it will surely change the world for that pet and their owners.