“No you take the scalpel, I can’t!” Natalie shouted as she ran to the other side of the room. We were in sixth grade biology class with a sheep's eye staring directly at us. With no hesitation, I made my first cut, revealing the vitreous humor inside. Everyone else in the class watched me with disgust. I barely noticed; what was in front of me was way more exciting than a bunch of middle schoolers. I would like to say that that was the day I knew I was destined for veterinary school, but that wouldn’t be true. It was the day I really fell in love with science and anatomy. But mostly, it was the day I knew I wanted to learn more. Fast-forward to college, and I am destined for medical school. I stay up until 2:00am most nights running experiments in my small closet of a lab. My mom calls me one of these nights to tell me my childhood dog, Harley, has passed away from a sudden cardiac arrest. I am devastated, but I keep pushing; there is no time to stop now. I will be helping people and doing good in the world, I am told. I still have my love of science, and my curiosity drives me forward. I tell myself once I get into medical school, I will finally feel a sense of fulfillment. Yet, the only time I really feel like I have purpose is when I’m riding my school horse “Big Ed” at Equestrian team practices. My passion for animals helps to get me through the difficult times. It is my only escape from a track I no longer feel passionate about, but everyone is proud of me. I don’t tell anyone that I am unhappy. I graduate college with an Honors Biochemistry degree and begin working at my fancy new lab job. I am excited to start this new journey, but as time goes on, the sensation that something is missing keeps lingering. The pandemic hits and I end up having to work long and hard hours testing a vaccine. I decided to adopt a dog to help me feel less lonely. That’s when my pit bull mix, Misty, comes into my life. Having her was the only time I finally felt like I had purpose again. Misty reminded me of what it meant to feel fulfilled again. She invigorated a passion in me that I have long forgotten about–something that made me feel right and whole inside. From that moment on, I wasted no time and put my full focus into veterinary school. I worked as a veterinary technician and learned all the skills I could. I was able to experience everything from euthanasia and end of life care, to complex surgeries, to the birth of new life. As I continued on in the field of veterinary medicine, I found a true passion in the field of neurology and neurosurgery. After witnessing my own dog, Misty’s, struggles with IVDD, I am passionate about helping our companion animals walk again, and keeping their brains healthy and happy. I also aim to incorporate research into my future practice to advance current understanding and practices surrounding neuronal regeneration. I know that my unique experiences and path will make me a great veterinarian–full of compassion, curiosity, resiliency, patience, and most of all, passion.

“No you take the scalpel, I can’t!” Natalie shouted as she ran to the other side of the room. We were in sixth grade biology class with a sheep's eye staring directly at us. With no hesitation, I made my first cut, revealing the vitreous humor inside. Everyone else in the class watched me with disgust. I barely noticed; what was in front of me was way more exciting than a bunch of middle schoolers. I would like to say that that was the day I knew I was destined for veterinary school, but that wouldn’t be true. It was the day I really fell in love with science and anatomy. But mostly, it was the day I knew I wanted to learn more. Fast-forward to college, and I am destined for medical school. I stay up until 2:00am most nights running experiments in my small closet of a lab. My mom calls me one of these nights to tell me my childhood dog, Harley, has passed away from a sudden cardiac arrest. I am devastated, but I keep pushing; there is no time to stop now. I will be helping people and doing good in the world, I am told. I still have my love of science, and my curiosity drives me forward. I tell myself once I get into medical school, I will finally feel a sense of fulfillment. Yet, the only time I really feel like I have purpose is when I’m riding my school horse “Big Ed” at Equestrian team practices. My passion for animals helps to get me through the difficult times. It is my only escape from a track I no longer feel passionate about, but everyone is proud of me. I don’t tell anyone that I am unhappy. I graduate college with an Honors Biochemistry degree and begin working at my fancy new lab job. I am excited to start this new journey, but as time goes on, the sensation that something is missing keeps lingering. The pandemic hits and I end up having to work long and hard hours testing a vaccine. I decided to adopt a dog to help me feel less lonely. That’s when my pit bull mix, Misty, comes into my life. Having her was the only time I finally felt like I had purpose again. Misty reminded me of what it meant to feel fulfilled again. She invigorated a passion in me that I have long forgotten about–something that made me feel right and whole inside. From that moment on, I wasted no time and put my full focus into veterinary school. I worked as a veterinary technician and learned all the skills I could. I was able to experience everything from euthanasia and end of life care, to complex surgeries, to the birth of new life. As I continued on in the field of veterinary medicine, I found a true passion in the field of neurology and neurosurgery. After witnessing my own dog, Misty’s, struggles with IVDD, I am passionate about helping our companion animals walk again, and keeping their brains healthy and happy. I also aim to incorporate research into my future practice to advance current understanding and practices surrounding neuronal regeneration. I know that my unique experiences and path will make me a great veterinarian–full of compassion, curiosity, resiliency, patience, and most of all, passion.

“No you take the scalpel, I can’t!” Natalie shouted as she ran to the other side of the room. We were in sixth grade biology class with a sheep's eye staring directly at us. With no hesitation, I made my first cut, revealing the vitreous humor inside. Everyone else in the class watched me with disgust. I barely noticed; what was in front of me was way more exciting than a bunch of middle schoolers. I would like to say that that was the day I knew I was destined for veterinary school, but that wouldn’t be true. It was the day I really fell in love with science and anatomy. But mostly, it was the day I knew I wanted to learn more. Fast-forward to college, and I am destined for medical school. I stay up until 2:00am most nights running experiments in my small closet of a lab. My mom calls me one of these nights to tell me my childhood dog, Harley, has passed away from a sudden cardiac arrest. I am devastated, but I keep pushing; there is no time to stop now. I will be helping people and doing good in the world, I am told. I still have my love of science, and my curiosity drives me forward. I tell myself once I get into medical school, I will finally feel a sense of fulfillment. Yet, the only time I really feel like I have purpose is when I’m riding my school horse “Big Ed” at Equestrian team practices. My passion for animals helps to get me through the difficult times. It is my only escape from a track I no longer feel passionate about, but everyone is proud of me. I don’t tell anyone that I am unhappy. I graduate college with an Honors Biochemistry degree and begin working at my fancy new lab job. I am excited to start this new journey, but as time goes on, the sensation that something is missing keeps lingering. The pandemic hits and I end up having to work long and hard hours testing a vaccine. I decided to adopt a dog to help me feel less lonely. That’s when my pit bull mix, Misty, comes into my life. Having her was the only time I finally felt like I had purpose again. Misty reminded me of what it meant to feel fulfilled again. She invigorated a passion in me that I have long forgotten about–something that made me feel right and whole inside. From that moment on, I wasted no time and put my full focus into veterinary school. I worked as a veterinary technician and learned all the skills I could. I was able to experience everything from euthanasia and end of life care, to complex surgeries, to the birth of new life. As I continued on in the field of veterinary medicine, I found a true passion in the field of neurology and neurosurgery. After witnessing my own dog, Misty’s, struggles with IVDD, I am passionate about helping our companion animals walk again, and keeping their brains healthy and happy. I also aim to incorporate research into my future practice to advance current understanding and practices surrounding neuronal regeneration. I know that my unique experiences and path will make me a great veterinarian–full of compassion, curiosity, resiliency, patience, and most of all, passion.

“No you take the scalpel, I can’t!” Natalie shouted as she ran to the other side of the room. We were in sixth grade biology class with a sheep's eye staring directly at us. With no hesitation, I made my first cut, revealing the vitreous humor inside. Everyone else in the class watched me with disgust. I barely noticed; what was in front of me was way more exciting than a bunch of middle schoolers. I would like to say that that was the day I knew I was destined for veterinary school, but that wouldn’t be true. It was the day I really fell in love with science and anatomy. But mostly, it was the day I knew I wanted to learn more. Fast-forward to college, and I am destined for medical school. I stay up until 2:00am most nights running experiments in my small closet of a lab. My mom calls me one of these nights to tell me my childhood dog, Harley, has passed away from a sudden cardiac arrest. I am devastated, but I keep pushing; there is no time to stop now. I will be helping people and doing good in the world, I am told. I still have my love of science, and my curiosity drives me forward. I tell myself once I get into medical school, I will finally feel a sense of fulfillment. Yet, the only time I really feel like I have purpose is when I’m riding my school horse “Big Ed” at Equestrian team practices. My passion for animals helps to get me through the difficult times. It is my only escape from a track I no longer feel passionate about, but everyone is proud of me. I don’t tell anyone that I am unhappy. I graduate college with an Honors Biochemistry degree and begin working at my fancy new lab job. I am excited to start this new journey, but as time goes on, the sensation that something is missing keeps lingering. The pandemic hits and I end up having to work long and hard hours testing a vaccine. I decided to adopt a dog to help me feel less lonely. That’s when my pit bull mix, Misty, comes into my life. Having her was the only time I finally felt like I had purpose again. Misty reminded me of what it meant to feel fulfilled again. She invigorated a passion in me that I have long forgotten about–something that made me feel right and whole inside. From that moment on, I wasted no time and put my full focus into veterinary school. I worked as a veterinary technician and learned all the skills I could. I was able to experience everything from euthanasia and end of life care, to complex surgeries, to the birth of new life. As I continued on in the field of veterinary medicine, I found a true passion in the field of neurology and neurosurgery. After witnessing my own dog, Misty’s, struggles with IVDD, I am passionate about helping our companion animals walk again, and keeping their brains healthy and happy. I also aim to incorporate research into my future practice to advance current understanding and practices surrounding neuronal regeneration. I know that my unique experiences and path will make me a great veterinarian–full of compassion, curiosity, resiliency, patience, and most of all, passion. I cannot wait to one day help our companion animals live fulfilling lives free of of pain.

“No you take the scalpel, I can’t!” Natalie shouted as she ran to the other side of the room. We were in sixth grade biology class with a sheep's eye staring directly at us. With no hesitation, I made my first cut, revealing the vitreous humor inside. Everyone else in the class watched me with disgust. I barely noticed; what was in front of me was way more exciting than a bunch of middle schoolers. I would like to say that that was the day I knew I was destined for veterinary school, but that wouldn’t be true. It was the day I really fell in love with science and anatomy. But mostly, it was the day I knew I wanted to learn more. Fast-forward to college, and I am destined for medical school. I stay up until 2:00am most nights running experiments in my small closet of a lab. My mom calls me one of these nights to tell me my childhood dog, Harley, has passed away from a sudden cardiac arrest. I am devastated, but I keep pushing; there is no time to stop now. I will be helping people and doing good in the world, I am told. I still have my love of science, and my curiosity drives me forward. I tell myself once I get into medical school, I will finally feel a sense of fulfillment. Yet, the only time I really feel like I have purpose is when I’m riding my school horse “Big Ed” at Equestrian team practices. My passion for animals helps to get me through the difficult times. It is my only escape from a track I no longer feel passionate about, but everyone is proud of me. I don’t tell anyone that I am unhappy. I graduate college with an Honors Biochemistry degree and begin working at my fancy new lab job. I am excited to start this new journey, but as time goes on, the sensation that something is missing keeps lingering. The pandemic hits and I end up having to work long and hard hours testing a vaccine. I decided to adopt a dog to help me feel less lonely. That’s when my pit bull mix, Misty, comes into my life. Having her was the only time I finally felt like I had purpose again. Misty reminded me of what it meant to feel fulfilled again. She invigorated a passion in me that I have long forgotten about–something that made me feel right and whole inside. From that moment on, I wasted no time and put my full focus into veterinary school. I worked as a veterinary technician and learned all the skills I could. I was able to experience everything from euthanasia and end of life care, to complex surgeries, to the birth of new life. As I continued on in the field of veterinary medicine, I found a true passion in the field of neurology and neurosurgery. After witnessing my own dog, Misty’s, struggles with IVDD, I am passionate about helping our companion animals walk again, and keeping their brains healthy and happy. I also aim to incorporate research into my future practice to advance current understanding and practices surrounding neuronal regeneration. I know that my unique experiences and path will make me a great veterinarian–full of compassion, curiosity, resiliency, patience, and most of all, passion. I cannot wait to one day help our companion animals live fulfilling lives free of of pain.

“No you take the scalpel, I can’t!” Natalie shouted as she ran to the other side of the room. We were in sixth-grade biology class with a sheep's eye staring directly at us. With no hesitation, I made my first cut, revealing the vitreous humor inside. Everyone else in the class watched me with disgust. I barely noticed; what was in front of me was way more exciting than a bunch of middle schoolers. I would like to say that that was the day I knew I was destined for veterinary school, but that wouldn’t be true. It was the day I really fell in love with science and anatomy. But mostly, it was the day I knew I wanted to learn more. Fast-forward to college, and I am destined for medical school. I stay up most nights running experiments in my lab. My mom calls me to tell me my childhood dog, Harley, has passed away from a sudden cardiac arrest. I am devastated, but I keep pushing; there is no time to stop now. I will be helping people and doing good in the world, I am told. I still have my love of science, and my curiosity drives me forward. I tell myself once I get into medical school, I will finally feel a sense of fulfillment. Yet, the only time I feel like I have purpose is when I’m riding “Big Ed” at Equestrian team practices. My passion for animals helps to get me through the difficult times. It is my only escape from a track I no longer feel passionate about, but everyone is proud of me. I don’t tell anyone that I am unhappy. I graduate college with an Honors Biochemistry degree and begin working at my fancy new lab job. I am excited to start this new journey, but as time goes on, the sensation that something is missing keeps lingering. The pandemic hits and I end up having to work long and hard hours testing a vaccine. I decided to adopt a dog to help me feel less lonely. That’s when my pit bull mix, Misty, comes into my life. Having her was the only time I finally felt like I had purpose again. Misty reminded me of what it meant to feel fulfilled. She invigorated a passion in me that I have long forgotten about–something that made me feel right and whole inside. From that moment on, I wasted no time and put my full focus on veterinary school. I worked as a veterinary technician and learned all the skills I could. I continued my volunteer work at a local animal shelter. And now having completed my first year in veterinary school, I am beyond certain that this path is what I am destined for. I know that my unique experiences and path will make me a great veterinarian–full of compassion, curiosity, resiliency, patience, and most of all, passion. As a veterinarian, I hope to become a board-certified veterinary specialist in neurology. I am very passionate about helping our animals through some of their toughest times to be able to get back to their families. When my own dog, Misty, had a spinal injury, she had to be hospitalized and undergo extensive diagnostics and procedures. It was a long road to recovery, but without those professionals, I wouldn't have the dog I have today. Following vet school, I plan to pursue this passion of neurology and help those "broken animals" just like my dog. I also aim to continue working with shelter dogs to give them a second chance at life.

I currently own a pit bull mix named Misty.She reminds me of what it means to feel like I'm making a difference in the world. In fact, she is the one who inspired me to pursue veterinary school and become a veterinarian. She is so much more than a dog in my eyes. She is my best friend. She is my emotional support. She drives and motivates me in my career and throughout my whole life.

This last year for me has been full of exploration, hard work, and learning to follow my passions. Yet, if I had to choose, my most important improvement this year has been prioritizing my happiness. Being the extremely compassionate and empathetic person I am, I have always put others needs before my own and aimed to please. For the majority of my life, I had always said that I wanted to go to medical school. I liked science and medicine, and so, it seemed like a good career choice. My family and friends were proud of me and I told myself that was enough. Yet, it felt like something was missing. That is when my pit bull mix, Misty, came into my life. She reminded me of what it meant to feel like I was making a difference in the world. Ever since, I have been dedicated wholeheartedly to the path of veterinary medicine and I dream of being a small animal veterinary surgeon. Working with animals has always been a passion of mine, but I didn’t allow myself to make a career out of it in fear that it would upset those around me. When I finally put myself first and followed what I knew was my true calling, I felt happier than I ever had before. Choosing veterinary medicine, and thus, choosing happiness, I believe, has been the best, most influential decision of my life. I feel more fulfilled and passionate about what I am doing and studying than I ever have. This character improvement has made me a better leader and more successful in my field. It has made me able to endure harder cases and push through long, difficult veterinary shifts. Overall, it has made me stronger, more patient and resilient, and a better overall student and future vet. Fulfilling this dream of becoming a veterinarian would be one of my greatest accomplishments, and I know that I will make an amazing veterinary student due to my passion for the field, love for animals, and interest and curiosity in science and medicine.

Patience My Grandfather Said Marks of the yellow–brown scratch of time Lay peacefully, like morning mist On the blades of grass Adorning dried and raw hands As they grip the familiar fishing rod With the confidence of a sparrow Committing itself to the sky. Replacing your palms with mine, My petite hand no match for the trail you have left behind Sewing up the wounds of my fears– Your guiding hand, Marching with the steadiness of a thousand years, Sets free the rod, Flying to eternal light. As the line leaps towards the rays, Reaching further than the sun sets. Patience, only patience. Dried up orange peels lay crippled– Basking under the warm July glow, Sitting on the edge of matter and dreams As we stand on the ancient dock, Awaiting death’s screams. The lessons of life must be felt, Just like that final tug of fishing line, Your voice resonates, Leaving stains in the wind As we greet the morning fog on the water’s surface. Eternities go by, so still– Yet still no catch. Hands once grasped tight around the fishing rod, Now sit idly in my lap, unenthused. Patience, only patience. The red–streaked sky Emanating from the lake’s skin Only acts as a barrier for my thoughts, My fishing line cutting open its hard exterior, Bleeding darkness– Shows me the light. The floater bobbed down And within seconds the fish lays on the dock, Thrashing, Like a flame being smothered, Gasping for breath– It was not alone. Your hands guided mine, And suddenly, I understood– Patience, only patience, My Grandfather said.

From as far back as I can remember, I have always had an immense curiosity about the world and an unquenchable drive to learn more. As I grew up, I learned to channel that energy into what fascinated me the most: biochemistry and medicine. Yet, I lacked a true sense of fulfillment in doing basic science. That is when my pit bull mix, Misty, came into my life. She reminded me of what it meant to feel like I was making a difference in the world. Ever since, I have been dedicated wholeheartedly to the path of veterinary medicine and I dream of being a small animal veterinary surgeon. My path is a very difficult one including four years of undergraduate education, four years of veterinary school, and several more years of internship and residency. Being in my first year of veterinary school I am looking ahead and the main barrier seems to be the financial one I will be taking on. This career is one I am incredibly passionate about and I could not imagine doing anything else. I will get to go to work everyday and fix a broken leg causing intense pain or take out a life threatening tumor. I will be giving the animals I love so much a chance to live again, to be happy and healthy, and give their owners their best friend back. As a first generation American, gay, Jewish woman, my successes did not always come easily to me. Nevertheless, I persisted in finding what I needed to make it to where I am. The communities that have supported me along the way are ones I hold closely and spend a lot of my time volunteering and giving back to. My plans for the future as a veterinarian are vast and encompass my passion for bettering the lives of our beloved pets, as well as dedicating my time and experience to assisting the animals that have yet to find a loving home. I dream of specializing in soft tissue surgery, specifically oncology cases, and completing a residency training program in that. Additionally, I aim to volunteer my services to shelter animals in need of life saving or altering surgical care. I would not be anywhere close to the person I am today if I had not rescued my dog, Misty, and I want to make sure as many other special needs dogs get the treatment they deserve as well. This scholarship would put me closer to being able to finally achieve this goal and help the animals that so desperately need it.