My name is McKayla and I am pursuing a degree in veterinary medicine at Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine to become an exotic animal practitioner. The veterinary profession has always been my sole interest, and I have done my best to learn as much as possible before entering the next step as a veterinary student. I have been a part of on-campus organizations, volunteer events, and fundraising opportunities, and worked in a veterinary hospital to prepare for the professional veterinary program. After obtaining my Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, I will advocate for all species, perform medical research, assist in the conservation of animals, and teach the next generation of veterinarians that follow me. I have a bachelor of science in Animal Sciences from Texas State University I plan to use this career path that I have wanted since I was a young child to teach my community about exotic animals and the proper ways to care for them so that they have the best welfare possible. I would also like to join boards to improve laws on animal welfare in this country and my community. One of the most fundamental ways veterinarians contribute to society is by advocating for animals since they can not do this themselves. Taking the veterinarian's oath to 'do no harm' confirms that the animals are being cared for using their best efforts. Veterinarians can provide proper animal care by gathering enough information from the owner and making decisions using the best judgment from the information provided. Veterinarians can alleviate pain and extensive problems that their patients suffer through ways that most people automatically think of, like prescribing medications and performing surgeries or procedures, but they can also do this in unapparent ways. The veterinarian helps the patient by comforting the owner and helping to alleviate some of the stress and anxiety they may be feeling. Knowing their animal is in good hands can significantly impact the owner and, in return, soothe the patient. This aspect of patient care is crucial because helping people feel relaxed around their sick or injured pets allows them to give the love and support they need for continued healing. I also would like to work with individuals such as game wardens and rehabilitation sanctuaries to heal animals and decide whether or not it is safe to send them back to their habitat. I would be the one making this decision because of what I have learned in veterinary school and after I am out practicing to judge if the animal can take care of themselves in the wild.

I have been working for a veterinary clinic in San Marcos, Texas, where the doctors often tell me how much they admire my work ethic and organizational skills. I am very knowledgeable about the veterinary profession and the daily running of the clinic, and my bosses also choose me to train new staff members in my position, making me the lead in my position. As my bosses enable me to train in different roles in the clinic and give me more responsibility, I am motivated to keep pursuing my ultimate goal to become a veterinarian. I have now been promoted to a veterinary technician assistant and have been allowed to handle appointments with clients with no assistance. My favorite work with animals so far is helping the lead veterinarian that I work for when emergency cases come in while the office is closed. Being one of the first people called for these cases and getting to the clinic quickly to assist in these urgent cases is immensely rewarding. I have also worked my way up from secretary to vice president and now president of the pre-veterinary society at my university to help undergraduate students be involved in the community through a veterinary shadow program I helped create and provide volunteering events for them to be a part of. My main motivations are the support of my family, knowing that I will continually be expanding my knowledge, and being able to advocate for animals that will help them and those that love them. While I continuously strive to give all of my time and effort into my coursework, there is no comparison to the desire I have in my heart to become a veterinarian. These reasons are why I feel that this is the best profession for me. Once I obtain my DVM, I hope to advocate for all species, perform medical research, assist in the conservation of animals, and teach the next generation of veterinarians that follow me. I am excited to work with various animals, but I am most interested in working in a mixed practice. I have given up many things to make sure I maintain my focus on reaching my goal of becoming a veterinarian. I have proven my desire and commitment and am incredibly grateful for the chance to submit my application for your review.

Personal background: I am a Texas native from a suburb of the Dallas area called McKinney and have lived in that surrounding area since I was three years old. I have a younger brother who just began college at the University of Texas Dallas for mechanical engineering. My mom is an occupational therapist, and my step-dad is a salesman for a small company. For work, I am a kennel technician at Springtown Veterinary Hospital, and I am advancing towards becoming an outpatient technician until my future acceptance into veterinary school. My passion and favorite things to do are to spend time with my puppy named Finn, help animals, and find ways to be a part of marine life conservation. Educational background: For undergraduate school, I applied to Texas State, the University of Arkansas, and Tarleton State and planned to go to Arkansas before I found out that I did not qualify for any in-state loans and felt that Texas State fit me better financially. I am majoring in animal sciences with a concentration in pre-veterinary medicine. This is the career path I have wanted to pursue since I was four years old, so I know that this will be the best major to accomplish that goal. The learning style I work best with is application-based and visually in person. Consequently, the most difficult part of college is adapting to the professor's different teaching styles and managing my time. Going forward: My dream job is to be a lead veterinarian in a mixed practice working with large and small animals and be able to co-own a clinic in Texas with another DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine). In 10 years, I see myself graduating from veterinary school, working in a mixed practice veterinary clinic, married, and with biological and adopted children. This degree is perfect for my career goals because it contains all of my prerequisites to apply for veterinary school and allows me to prepare as best I can for that journey with courses in that field. To make myself more marketable for veterinary school, I am working in a clinic, volunteering in the community, and being a leader in the pre-veterinary society at Texas State. Making the world a better place: I will change the world by helping save animals’ lives, providing research that will help generations of veterinarians that follow me, and participating in marine life conservation.

The most inspiring book I've read is called "Animals Make Us Human" by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson. This book is a New York Times bestseller, but not many people know about it, in my opinion. As I enter veterinary school, I need to understand animal behavior and welfare, which is all this book is about. I have had the privilege of meeting the author, Temple Grandin, during a presentation on autism and the agriculture world. It was so fascinating. I told everyone about it the next day. This book has given me helpful knowledge on animal behavior and making the lives of our animals as good as possible which will provide me with a great start to my veterinary career.

With all of the different paths, a veterinarian could go in, the attributes I believe are necessary to be a successful veterinarian include having a positive attitude and outlook, compassion, interpersonal skills, respect, ambition, integrity, positive relationships with different individuals, and problem-solving as well as communication skills. I believe that I possess almost if not all of these qualities. The two most important attributes to possess are being a people person and an animal-lover. Without communicating with people effectively, it would be extremely difficult to receive all the necessary information to help a patient. Being patient and sympathetic with the animal and the people who care for them is a big part of a veterinarian's job. I must understand my limitations, strengths, and weaknesses in this profession. I have been working for a large veterinary clinic in San Marcos, Texas, where the doctors often tell me how much they admire my work ethic and organizational skills. They also choose me to train new staff members in my position, making me the lead. Currently, I am the president of the pre-veterinary society at my university and use my platform to reach out to undergraduate students and give them ways to be involved in the community. I do this through a veterinary shadow program I helped create and provide volunteering events for them to be a part of. While I continuously strive to give all of my time and effort into my coursework, there is no comparison to the desire I have in my heart to become a veterinarian.

A practical solution to this issue would recommend seeing a counselor or therapist. I have recommended this to several friends and peers because it is a tool that many people overlook or look down upon. In veterinary medicine, the suicide rate is one of the highest in all professional careers. This is the career that I want to pursue, so this topic is something that I have always been pondering. I need to make sure that I am well versed in the different approaches to help with one's mental health. Another tip or solution I have would be to find a hobby that makes them happy. It can be exercising, drawing/painting, dancing, singing, swimming, etc. These active activities are proven to help improve mental health, and I would recommend that to everyone.

To me, diversity includes, but is not limited to, a varying range of sex, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, belief system, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, disability, education, and financial status in a group. Some stress and resistance to being open about my sexual orientation came from a hostile high school work experience, so I would love to connect with other veterinary students who have had similar experiences. It is hard for people in this community to feel comfortable in their workplace, especially when starting a new job or moving to a new area. Now I am working for an excellent and very inclusive veterinary clinic that has made me open up and change my opinions about having hesitations about new workplaces. My dream job is to be a lead veterinarian in a mixed practice working with large and small animals and be able to co-own a clinic in Texas with another DVM (Degree of Veterinary Medicine). In 10 years, I see myself graduating from veterinary school, working in a mixed practice veterinary clinic, married, and with biological and adopted children. If I do not get into veterinary school after two attempts, I would consider pursuing graduate school and applying to veterinary school again afterward. This degree is perfect for my career goals because it contains all of my prerequisites to apply for veterinary school and allows me to prepare as best I can for that journey with courses in that field. To make myself more marketable for veterinary school, I am working in a clinic, volunteering in the community, and being a leader in the pre-veterinary society at Texas State.

To me, diversity includes, but is not limited to, a varying range of sex, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, belief system, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, disability, education, and financial status in a group. Some stress and resistance to being open about my sexual orientation came from a hostile high school work experience, so I would love to connect with other veterinary students who have had similar experiences. It is hard for people in this community to feel comfortable in their workplace, especially when starting a new job or moving to a new area. Now I am working for an excellent and very inclusive veterinary clinic that has made me open up and change my opinions about having hesitations about new workplaces.

After my experiences as the President of the Pre-Veterinary Society at my university, I was able to find a paid position at a wonderful small animal practice as a technician where my coworkers and bosses have allowed me to be highly hands-on and taught me something new every day. As my bosses will enable me to train in different positions in the clinic, being given more responsibility always motivates me to keep pursuing my ultimate goal as a veterinarian. As a technician, I administer medications to hospitalized patients and boarded pets, clean kennels, walk dogs, and groom. I communicate with owners, complete patient medical notes, collect samples, perform lab work, restrain pets during exams and procedures, and prepare surgical packs. My favorite work with animals is helping the lead veterinarian that I work for when emergency cases come in while the office is closed. Being one of the first people called for these cases and getting to the clinic quickly to assist in these urgent cases is immensely rewarding. I have been given many opportunities to learn and be involved in procedures and appointments every day. Beyond providing services as a practicing veterinarian, I will contribute to the rural and regional Texas communities by hopefully sitting on the board of individuals who make decisions regarding veterinary medicine, such as the Texas Board of Medical Examiners. Teaching is essential to me, so once I am a practicing veterinarian, I will use my services to set up workshops for farmers, ranchers, and others interested in learning about proper animal nutrition and care. I will also teach these individuals about health practices they need to be obtaining by creating a health plan for their animals. Since one of my main interests is conservation, I would also love to work with local game wardens to do what I can to conserve the wildlife population and endangered species. Another reason why being a rural area veterinarian is interesting to me is the room for leadership growth, such as teaching and being a part of the local FFA and 4H. By co-owning my practice, I will provide affordable care to underserved rural communities and create economically convenient services. A book that has shaped my thinking is titled Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin. It is about animal behavior and how humans and animals interact. She shows the reader that animals such as dogs, cats, horses, cows, pigs, poultry, wildlife, and zoo animals have conscious feelings and a core emotional system. I have learned so much that will impact how I handle animals as a veterinarian. I had the opportunity to meet the author at a conference where she presented her books, her life as a verbal autistic woman, and her accomplishments.

Through the Pre-Veterinary Society at Texas State, where I hold the President position, I have been given many opportunities to volunteer with animals. During my first year of college, I assisted in the drive-up adoption through Paws Animal Shelter, helped set up the dachshund races, and ensured the area was clean during the local Pet Fest. I also volunteered at a miniature horse farm, where I learned about miniature horses and their breeding. I was able to groom some and exercise them by leading them around the pasture. Another equine experience I have had was at an equestrian facility designed to provide therapy for disabled children. While volunteering, I cleaned up their areas and relocated the horses to different stables. At my local non-profit, no-kill shelter, I volunteered to walk the dogs and play with the cats up for adoption. I also cleaned kennels and gave baths to the dogs who required grooming services. After these experiences, I was able to find a paid position at a wonderful small animal practice as a technician where my coworkers and bosses have allowed me to be highly hands-on and taught me something new every day. As my bosses will enable me to train in different positions in the clinic, being given more responsibility always motivates me to keep pursuing my ultimate goal as a veterinarian. As a technician, I administer medications to hospitalized patients and boarded pets, clean kennels, walk dogs, and groom. I communicate with owners, complete patient medical notes, collect samples, perform lab work, restrain pets during exams and procedures, and prepare surgical packs. My favorite work with animals is helping the lead veterinarian that I work for when emergency cases come in while the office is closed. Being one of the first people called for these cases and getting to the clinic quickly to assist in these urgent cases is immensely rewarding. I have been given many opportunities to learn and be involved in procedures and appointments every day. Beyond providing services as a practicing veterinarian, I will contribute to the rural and regional Texas communities by hopefully sitting on the board of individuals who make decisions regarding veterinary medicine, such as the Texas Board of Medical Examiners. Teaching is essential to me, so once I am a practicing veterinarian, I will use my services to set up workshops for farmers, ranchers, and others interested in learning about proper animal nutrition and care. I will also teach these individuals about health practices they need to be obtaining by creating a health plan for their animals. Since one of my main interests is conservation, I would also love to work with local game wardens to do what I can to conserve the wildlife population and endangered species. Another reason why being a rural area veterinarian is interesting to me is the room for leadership growth, such as teaching and being a part of the local FFA and 4H. By co-owning my practice, I will provide affordable care to underserved rural communities and create economically convenient services. What makes me different than other applicants for this scholarship is my drive and ambition for the goals I have had since I was young. I want to share my appreciation for this opportunity and my hopes to receive this scholarship.

I believe mathematics is an essential topic for everyone to learn. It is used in everyday life even when we do not think we are using it. Something that everyone must do is be able to manage money and finances. One needs to prepare a meal budget, vacationing, retirement, children's expenses, student loan debt, mortgages, and much more. We also use math to reason and think analytically. I love learning math and even tutored some of my classmates in college algebra because I enjoyed the subject. This interest peaked in high school when I took a quantitative reasoning class, which prepared me for paying bills, managing loans, and even filing my taxes on my own.

I am a Texas native from a suburb of the Dallas area called McKinney and have lived in that surrounding area since I was three years old. I have a younger brother named Ryland, who is nineteen and just began college at the University of Texas Dallas for mechanical engineering. My mom is an occupational therapist, and my step-dad is a salesman. For work, I am a kennel technician at Springtown Veterinary Hospital in San Marcos, and I am advancing towards becoming an outpatient technician until my future acceptance into veterinary school. At Texas State, I am majoring in animal sciences with a concentration in pre-veterinary medicine. This degree is perfect for my career goals because it contains all of my prerequisites to apply for veterinary school and allows me to prepare as best I can for that journey with courses in that field. To make myself more marketable for veterinary school, I am working in a clinic, volunteering in the community, and being a leader in the pre-veterinary society. I will change the world by helping save animals’ lives, providing research that will benefit generations of veterinarians that follow me, and participating in marine life conservation. Short-term goals that I have given myself are striving for a 4.0 GPA this semester, advancing from kennel technician to outpatient technician in the clinic that I work for, and acing any other interviews I may get the opportunity to do for veterinary school. After obtaining a DVM, my future career goals would be to work in a small animal or emergency medicine clinic for a couple of years and then open a mixed practice clinic with my cousin in Texas. In 10 years, I see myself graduating from veterinary school, working in a mixed practice, married, and with biological and adopted children. If I do not get into veterinary school after two attempts, I would consider pursuing graduate school and applying to veterinary school again afterward. I also have an interest in aquatic animal medicine and conservation that I would like to study while working in mixed practice so that in the future, I may be able to take the time to go out in the field and truly study it. These goals are important to me because this is the field I have wanted to pursue since I was around five years old, and to be able to achieve it would prove to myself and my family that this is what I was meant to do. My primary skills include great organization, kind customer engagement, and goal orientation. The attributes I believe are necessary to be a successful veterinarian are having a positive attitude and outlook, compassion, interpersonal skills, respect, ambition, integrity, positive relationships with different individuals, problem-solving, and communication skills. Though I currently possess many of these traits, I will always be attempting to achieve these attributes as I begin my career.

To relax and take care of my mental health I like to clean and organize my apartment. It does not sound very fun to most people, but to me, it is so relaxing to live and work in a clean space. For my mental health, I do breathing exercises and take walks with my dog outside to decrease my anxiety levels.

My favorite hobbies include spending time with my family, friends, and especially my pets. I also love my job as a veterinary technician where I get to help animals get treatment and heal. I enjoy learning about science and medicine as well as teaching others. I am a hip-hop dancer who used to compete in national competitions with a team called F-troop. Finally, I also enjoy listening to all kinds of music genres.

A memory where I was genuinely happy was when I adopted my dog, Finn. He has brought so much joy into my life and taught me valuable life lessons. I intended to visit another dog at the same shelter, but I saw him trying to get my attention in the next yard. I went to see him, and he curled in a small ball in my lap, and I knew he was the one.

All through my junior high and high school years, I was a person that my classmates would come to, even if they did not know me well when they had something going on in their lives and needed to get it off of their chest. Specifically, one of my peers whom I only knew from one class contacted me to confide in me to say that her 'friend' was bullying her about her parents giving her up for adoption and the holes and stains in her clothing. I confronted the girl the next day and told my school's counselor, who thanked me and asked me to help him with other bullying issues in the school, which I loved doing. I have become very compassionate and non-judgemental towards people because it is true that people do not know the lives and experiences that others are living behind closed doors. People never know if someone is on the verge of a breakdown, so the way we interact and treat people both verbally and physically is extremely important. Once I get my career started, I plan on being an advocate for mental health awareness. Aside from medicine, I feel that animals are the very best way to help people heal from many mental issues because unconditional love is the foundation of many mental health problems. As a society, love has become based on the physical, i.e., looks, money, houses, grades, etc. This leads to people feeling unworthy, unloved, and unimportant. This is so important to me due to the increasingly high suicide rate in the veterinary profession. Animals can heal a heart because they love unconditionally, and that is why I want to be involved in creating new avenues in the mental health industry that incorporate animals into one's healing process.

My passion for this career field comes from the numerous options there are in the profession such as aquatic medicine, rehabilitation, research, and academia. After obtaining a Degree in Veterinary Medicine, my future career goal would be to work in a small animal or emergency medicine clinic for a couple of years and then find a business partner who would be interested in co-owning a mixed practice. My ideal business partner would be someone who has a veterinary background or interest that would like to be the practice manager. I would work side-by-side with this individual to create a prosperous business. In my opinion, the management and business aspects of veterinary medicine are just as interesting as the medical and surgical. My main focus would be to mostly practice and research medicine. I would like to have a group of individuals, possibly college students in a graduate program, to assist me in a research project. I have an interest in aquatic animal medicine and conservation that I would like to study while working in mixed practice so that in the future I can take the time to go out in the field and perform research. These goals are important to me because this is the field I’ve wanted to pursue since I was around five years old and to be able to achieve it would prove to myself and my family that this is what I was meant to do. To accomplish these goals, I have made connections with veterinarians in my community to ask them questions and prepare myself for my future career. I work in a wonderful small animal practice as a technician. My coworkers and bosses have allowed me to be extremely hands-on and have taught me something new every day. Being able to work in different positions in the clinic and being given more responsibility always gives me the motivation to keep pursuing my ultimate goal as a veterinarian. My favorite work I've done with animals so far is assisting the lead veterinarian that I work for when emergencies come in. Being one of the first people called in, getting to the clinic quickly, and assisting in these urgent cases is immensely rewarding. I have also worked my way up from secretary to vice president, and now president of the pre-veterinary society at Texas State University. In this organization, I help the students be involved in the community through a veterinary shadow program I helped create and give them opportunities to attend volunteering events. Transitioning my school learning online made me realize the positive impact that online resources give us as students.

In my community, I work for a local veterinary clinic where I help the pets in my area feel comfortable and safe at the veterinary hospital. Currently working in a wonderful small animal practice as a technician, my coworkers and bosses have allowed me to be highly hands-on and taught me something new every day. As my bosses will enable me to train in different positions in the clinic, being given more responsibility always motivates me to keep pursuing my ultimate goal as a veterinarian. At school, I contribute by being the president of the pre-veterinary society. In this organization, I help the students be involved in the community through a veterinary shadow program I helped create and give them opportunities to attend volunteering events. My professional and personal goal would be to work in a small animal or emergency medicine clinic for a couple of years and then find a business partner interested in co-owning a mixed practice. My main focus would be to mostly practice and research medicine. To contribute to improving the LGBTQIA+ community, I will be joining LGBTQIA+ organizations at veterinary school or starting one if there is not one in place. Some stress and resistance to being open about my sexual orientation came from a negative high school work experience, so I would love to connect with other veterinary students who have had similar experiences. I would love to be a role model for kindness and inclusiveness and to take action on a local level to establish safe spaces for all LGBTQIA+ people. What makes me different than other applicants for this scholarship is my drive and ambition for the goals I have had since I was young. I would like to share my appreciation for this opportunity and my hopes to receive this scholarship. After obtaining a Degree in Veterinary Medicine, my future career goals would be to work in a small animal or emergency medicine clinic for a couple of years and then find a business partner who would be interested in co-owning a mixed practice. My ideal business partner would be someone who has a veterinary background or interest and would like to be the practice manager. I would work side-by-side with this individual to create a prosperous business. In my opinion, the management and business aspects of veterinary medicine are just as interesting as the medical and surgical. My main focus would be to mostly practice and research medicine. I would like to have a group of individuals, possibly college students in a graduate program, to assist me in a research project. I have an interest in aquatic animal medicine and conservation that I would like to study while working in mixed practice so that in the future I may be able to take the time to go out in the field and truly study it.

My relationship with my family used to be the main thing that kept me going. My mom was my best friend, and my step-dad was my biggest supporter. After recently gaining the courage to come out to them and express my sexuality, that relationship changed. There was no way to predict how they would react and it started off great, but that was just a front before they were comfortable enough to show their true thoughts. They told me they love me but will never have my support which hurt more than I could have possibly imagined hearing that from my mom/best friend. My proudest accomplishment is how far I have come in my education while dealing with pretty severe anxiety and a tic syndrome. That has forced me to find new ways to learn and adapt to professors teaching styles. In my community, I work for a local veterinary clinic where I help the pets in my area feel comfortable and safe at the veterinary hospital. Currently working in a wonderful small animal practice as a technician, my coworkers and bosses have allowed me to be highly hands-on and taught me something new every day. As my bosses will enable me to train in different positions in the clinic, being given more responsibility always motivates me to keep pursuing my ultimate goal as a veterinarian. At school, I contribute by being the president of the pre-veterinary society. In this organization, I help the students be involved in the community through a veterinary shadow program I helped create and give them opportunities to attend volunteering events. My professional and personal goal would be to work in a small animal or emergency medicine clinic for a couple of years and then find a business partner interested in co-owning a mixed practice. My main focus would be to mostly practice and research medicine. To contribute to improving the LGBTQIA+ community, I will be joining LGBTQIA+ organizations at veterinary school or starting one if there is not one in place. Some stress and resistance to being open about my sexual orientation came from a negative high school work experience, so I would love to connect with other veterinary students who have had similar experiences. I would love to be a role model for kindness and inclusiveness and to take action on a local level to establish safe spaces for all LGBTQIA+ people. What makes me different than other applicants for this scholarship is my drive and ambition for the goals I have had since I was young. I would like to share my appreciation for this opportunity and my hopes to receive this scholarship.

One new technology that I am excited about is extended reality (XR).

The wisest thing I've ever heared is “you can never plan the future by the past.” — Edmund Burke

One thing that gives me hope that the future will be better is the increase in individuals receiving degrees now that there are different ways to receive them.