The first word on my kindergarten project under the prompt, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" was veterinarian. My love for animals began early and I expressed it by watching Air Bud every night. That love only deepened as I grew older. Not only was I captivated by animals themselves, but by the joy they bring into people's lives. I wanted to combine my passion for animals with my love of science, thus leading me on the path into veterinary medicine as a way to give back. Growing up, my childhood dog was diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, an incurable disease that left her chronically ill. As I moved in and out of veterinary hospitals, I could see behind the scenes of the clinics. I witnessed the compassion, dedication, and empathy the staff showed to my dog. They treated her as if she were their own, and that inspired me to do the same. I believe every animal deserves respect and we owe them to do better and be better. This belief solidified my decision to pursue veterinary medicine in order to provide the highest standard of care to animals in need. During veterinary school, I developed personal interests in general practice and the integration of Eastern and Western medicine. I value relationships built between veterinarians and clients, and I would be honored to care for a patient throughout every stage of their life from their first weeks to their senior years. I am passionate about improving the quality of life for senior pets and providing comfort and peace to families during their most difficult times. Upon graduating in May, I plan to work in a small animal general practice with a focus on end-of-life care and holistic medicine. I hope to educate my clients in understanding that age is not a disease and pets can live comfortably even as their bodies begin to slow down. I am committed to educating my clients on multimodal therapy, particularly for pain management. By integrating acupuncture and herbal medicine with conventional treatment, I hope to create individualized care plans for my patients. Preventative care and building trusting relationships with clients is central to my morals as I strive to treat everyone's pets as if they were my own. I am honored to apply for the Team Crosby Forever Veterinary Medicine Scholarship, which supports dreams of future veterinarians. I hope to carry forward the values behind this scholarship throughout my career and within the community. This scholarship would allow me to support myself through the remainder of my clinical rotations and begin making a difference in the lives of my patients and families.

Three years from now, I will be a young veterinary graduate only two years out of veterinary school. I see myself grounded in the veterinary profession and building a world of relationships with my clients and their pets. At this point, I hope to be practicing in my local community at a small animal general practice where I can continue to grow, learn, and serve my community. I will be diligent about promoting preventative care and supporting my community by managing feral cat populations. With my position, I hope to inform my local community about animal welfare, preventative care, and feral cat management in order to promote awareness. Two years out of school, I see myself being confident and capable in my abilities and skills as a veterinarian to share my love and passion with pets and clients alike. I will be a veterinarian that never stops learning as science and medicine is always changing. Every decision I make to come will reflect my morals, values, compassion, and respect for animals. Deena, my childhood dog, was an animal I loved and her story continues to motivate me today. As a puppy, Deena was very skinny and had constant diarrhea. She was later diagnosed with a rare disease known as exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Her body could not produce the enzymes needed to digest food leading to maldigestion and malnutrition. Years later on in life, she would be diagnosed with immune mediated thrombocytopenia, another rare condition where her body's immune system destroyed the platelets in her body. Deena experienced many hardships in life and yet, she lived to the fullest. She was sick, but always hopeful. I experienced many veterinary visits, emergencies, and medications before Deena could live comfortably. She would need lifelong enzymatic medications for the next thirteen years of her life and she would never be able to receive certain procedures again such as vaccines due to her sensitive immune system. Despite the hardships Deena faced, she turned out to be the most intelligent and brightest dog I have ever met. Once she could thrive in life, without pain or stress, I knew this was the kind of difference I wanted to make every day in another pet's life. If I have the ability to take care of an animal and give them the best odds in life, I will never stop pursuing my dreams. Deena reminds me daily of the power veterinarian's hold and their importance in the life of pets. Through the help of veterinarians, Deena was able to live thirteen long years with her conditions and I was able to keep my best friend. Her veterinarians blessed her with the gift of life, and I hope to offer that same care to many more animals in my future.