​The main challenge that I have faced with my learning disabilities is that people tell me that I will not achieve my dream of becoming a veterinarian. All my life, I have been passionate about animals and their well-being, and that led me down the path of choosing veterinary medicine as my career. Throughout my life, people have told me that I won’t amount to much due to my ADHD diagnosis, and it only got worse when I was diagnosed with Autism when I was sixteen. I have spent so much time trying to prove that I am capable of becoming a veterinarian that I started to feel burnt out, that was, until I realized that I don’t need to prove anything to anyone but myself. Ever since I realized that, I have been aiming for straight A’s and getting in volunteer and work hours for myself, and I have even boosted my self-esteem. There are still challenges that I face, like finding proper study habits and keeping everything organized, but I don’t let those things stop me. I have found a great tutor who helps me find study habits that work for me and organizational patterns that I can use and understand. Not only that, but I have found people who support my dream of becoming a veterinarian and believe that I am capable. Finding this community has made me realize that people who have learning disabilities are still able to do things that people without learning disabilities can do. What motivates me to continue my education is the dream and belief of becoming a veterinarian, and the passion for animal health and well-being. I have two lovely dogs who inspire me to seek out veterinary medicine as my career because I want them to be happy and healthy. Even though I still have people telling me to give up, I don’t. I refuse to let others’ opinions determine what I am capable of and what I am not. I believe that only one can determine what is possible and what is not. This belief keeps me focused on my dream of continuing my education because I know that good results happen when one puts in the work for a greater tomorrow, and I believe my greater tomorrow will come if I put in the work to get good grades and tune out people who think that I am not capable.

My name is Kathryn Rawlinson. Since I was young, I’ve been fascinated by everything that goes into helping animals as a Veterinarian. Animals have always been my passion due to growing up with a dog and seeing how Veterinarians did check-ups on him to make sure that he was healthy. I found that learning about how their bodies work and how to keep them healthy only strengthens my passion to help all animals, no matter how big or small. My background is a big part of why I chose this career path. I was adopted as a young child and grew up with the family dog, whom I considered to be my brother. Although I lost my adoptive parents, one in 2015 and the other in 2023, I’m grateful for the love they gave me and the foundation they set. After their passing, I went into foster care at fifteen, and now I’m living in a single-parent, low-income household. These experiences taught me resilience and the importance of self-reliance, which makes me even more motivated to work hard and achieve my dreams. I know that a stable career in veterinary medicine could provide greatness for my community. Working at a dog daycare has given me practical experience in animal care, and volunteering has been an important part of my journey. I volunteer with animals like horses, bunnies, cats, and dogs, and every interaction teaches me more about different species' needs and personalities. I also volunteer with CAREing Paws, an organization that lets me bring my pet therapy dog to the local library. There, we help kids learn to read by letting them read aloud to my dog in a comforting, non-judgmental setting. It’s incredibly rewarding to see children gain confidence with each reading session, and I love watching the way my dog connects with them. Studying to become a veterinarian will change my life in many ways. Initially, it will give me the chance to do what I love—help animals in need and make a positive impact on their lives and their owners’ lives. The science behind animal health fascinates me, and getting a degree will help me gain the skills needed to provide the best care possible, whether it be just a check-up or an important surgery. My heart longs to help animals from being put down all because of the lack of space, because I believe that all animals deserve to have the chance to live a long, happy life. Veterinary medicine also gives me a chance to give back to my community. Giving back is another huge motivator to pursue Veterinary medicine. I would love to be able to support shelters, rescues, and families who may not be able to afford expensive treatments for their pets. Being a veterinarian will allow me to make a real impact on animals and people alike, especially in communities where care can be hard to access. Like all people who need medical care, so do their special pets. My journey to becoming a veterinarian has given me the strength, resilience, and perspective needed to pursue this dream. I’m ready to work hard, to push through the challenges of school, and to dedicate myself to the lifelong study and care of animals. By pursuing this career, I will not only achieve my dream but also be able to support others and make a meaningful impact on the lives of animals and their owners.

Despite being someone from foster care, I have many plans for the future. This scholarship will help me achieve my educational dreams. My adoptive parents unfortunately passed away when I was 15 and I was placed in one foster home, then another. Even though I had to change schools and bond with a whole new family, I have huge ambitions. I do not let the past troubles I’ve had losing my parents and being put into foster care get me down. I plan to finish high school with almost straight A’s. I am taking college courses through the college Dual Enrollment program. Within my last year of high school, this year, I plan to continue to work at Bow Wags, a dog daycare, boarding, and grooming facility, and volunteer at Mostly Mutts, a no-kill shelter for cats and dogs. I also plan to keep volunteering the R.E.A.D. program with my dog Koda at our local library, where kids get the confidence they need to be successful readers. I have over 400 volunteer and work hours already with animals and people such as the Georgia Aquarium. The courses that I plan to take as a high school Senior at my Dual Enrollment school, Kennesaw State Universuty, through my high school’s Dual Enrollment program, are Statistics, Chemistry II with lab, Economics, American Government, Physics, English Composition, Philosophy, just to name a few. After high school, I plan to attend Berry, a 4-year college, where I will major in Biology and Animal Science, and minor in Psychology and Chemistry. While in college, I will join their honors program to get more in-depth learning, and will get a job on campus working with large animals. I plan to still volunteer at Mostly Mutts with dogs and cats, when I have time off from school, so that I can stay active in my community. While in college, I plan to get all A’s and find an opportunity to shadow a vet so that I can meet the requirements for vet school. I also plan to study abroad so that I can get experience in different cultures. After college, I plan to go to vet school so that I can get the knowledge I need to be a successful veterinarian. I plan to get an apartment near the vet school I am attending. While in vet school, I plan to volunteer at local animal shelters and get all A’s. I will also get an internship with a vet to get more experience working in an animal hospital. I also plan to get experience working with all kinds of animals while in vet school. After vet school, I will get my license as a vet. I plan to get a job working at a rural veterinary practice so that I can work with horses, alpacas, cats, dogs, and exotics. As a vet, I will still volunteer at local animal shelters to help the animals find loving homes, and I will help kids in my community become more confident in their reading abilities. I plan to get a ranch where I will have cats, dogs, horses, and alpacas. I plan to use my ranch to give a learning experience to kids in my community about what different kinds of animals are like.

I chose veterinary medicine as my field of interest because I was raised with a dog who unfortunately had to be put down due to a dislocated disk in his lower back that led to him becoming paralyed from the waist down. Ever since his passing, I vowed to become a vet to help animals in need. I believe that I can make an impact in the veterinary medical field by finding new ways to help injured animals, and make a change in how animal shelters are run. I know that I will be able to achieve my goal because of how tightly I hold onto the vow I made when my dog passed, because I want to see positive changes, and because I refuse to take "no" for an answer. All my life I've cared about the well-being of animals, and it is something that drives me through everyday; every time that I feel like giving up on my dream, that drive to help animals keeps me going. When I look around at all the animals without loving homes, I feel like it is my duty to help them; whether it is myself taking them in, or finding someone else to, I always get this sense of overprotectiveness. That is why I dedicate myself to do all the volunteer work I do, so that I will have the qualifications to get into veterinary school, and why I spend many hours studying so my grades reflect that I am dedicated to study and get my license as a vet.