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.