In August, I began my current educational program focusing on Biomedical Sciences (Pre-Vet) at Colorado State University, Pueblo. Becoming a veterinarian has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, and I am excited to begin my studies towards achieving my goal. In addition to my coursework in college, I am a member of the Colorado State University Pre-Veterinary Medicine Club. Our club meets every week, and each week we have a speaker from the veterinary medicine community. It has been eye opening and inspirational to hear from experienced veterinarians about the various career paths that are available to those in the field of veterinary medicine. Outside of school, I volunteer with an animal rescue organization in Pueblo, Colorado. As part of my volunteer work, I clean kennels, do laundry, and help socialize timid animals. At home, I have three dogs, four cats, and a fish. I have grown up with animals. My parents had them when I was born, so I have been surrounded by animals all my life. All my animals are rescues, and as I write this, two of my dogs are here next to me “helping” with my essay. Animals are truly the biggest joy in my life, and my biggest dream is to help them. My experience working with animals in a volunteer capacity will help me achieve my future dream of being a veterinarian. In addition to my goal of becoming a veterinarian, my research goal while I am in college and beyond is to work on research to administer more at home veterinary treatments for rural families. I hope to further advance science by studying and researching different treatment methods, and my chosen major and educational plan is the first step to achieving this dream. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. One my dogs was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. Because we live so far from a veterinarian, there was no easy access to treatment. It was a scary drive down our gravel mountain road to get to the lifesaving treatment needed for my dog, and it was frustrating that there was nothing we could do for him at home. My dream is to develop an antivenom that rural families like mine can administer at home. Many rural families do not have easy access to veterinary care, and I believe more treatments could be developed for home use by these families. My family was fortunate that our dog survived the rattlesnake bite, but not all dogs are as lucky. My experience with my own dog inspired my dream of wanting to develop more at home veterinary treatments. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college to be at the forefront of new treatment methods for household pets, and through this I hope to positively impact the world through my career. My dog's life was saved by veterinarian care. I hope to pay it forward to my community by first completing my undergraduate degree at Colorado State University, Pueblo, then transferring to Colorado State University, Fort Collins for veterinary school, and then returning to my home community of Walsenburg, Colorado where I intend to become a rural veterinarian providing the care my community needs.

One day, my dad and I were in our yard with our dog. Our dog is a social dog who believes everyone is her friend. At that moment, a stranger walked by with a dog we did not know. Being her usual friendly self, our dog went to greet the other dog, and the dog attacked. It was truly a terrifying and emotional situation. I am very grateful the veterinarian was able to save her life. This event reaffirmed my desire to pursue my chosen career in veterinary medicine. My current educational program focusing on Biomedical Sciences (Pre-Vet) will help me achieve my future career goal of becoming a veterinarian. Currently, I am a volunteer with an animal rescue organization. As part of my volunteer work, I clean kennels, do laundry, and socialize timid animals. At home, I have three dogs, four cats, and a fish. I have grown up with animals. My parents had them when I was born, so I have been surrounded by animals all my life. All my animals are rescues, and as I write this, two of my dogs are here next to me “helping” with my essay. Animals are truly the biggest joy in my life, and my biggest dream is to help them. My experience working with animals in a volunteer capacity will help me achieve my future dream of being a veterinarian. In addition to my volunteer work and pets, I regularly interact with our neighbors’ farm animals such as horses, cattle, and even yak. On our property, we regularly encounter bears, mountain lions, foxes, turkeys, and bobcats. I have grown up with a healthy caution of wildlife while also being able to appreciate that we moved into their homes, and we must respect that they were here first. Whether at the shelter, in my own home, visiting neighbors, or hiking and working on my family’s land, there is never a day where animals are not a huge part of my life. I believe my significant involvement with a wide variety of both small and large animals has set me on the right track to complete my education and achieve my dream of a career in veterinary medicine. As a veterinarian, I hope to make the world a better place by contributing not only to the health and wellbeing of animals but also to my community. Currently, I live in a remote area of Colorado. Our closest veterinarian is an hour away, and in an emergency, it not only presents a challenge considering the amount of time it takes to obtain veterinarian care, but it is also very expensive. My community is low income, and many families cannot afford to obtain expensive care for their pets. My goal after completing veterinary school is to return to my community to provide affordable care for rural families by establishing an affordable veterinary clinic to serve families like mine. Thank you for your consideration in helping me pursue my professional passion.

One day last winter, my dad and I were in our front yard with our dog. Our dog is a social dog who believes everyone is her friend. At that moment, a stranger walked by with a dog we did not know. Being her usual friendly self, our dog went to greet the other dog, and the dog attacked. It was truly a terrifying and emotional situation. When my dog was attacked, I just wanted to help, and I was scared the veterinarian would be closed. I am very grateful the veterinarian was open and able to save her life. This event with my dog reaffirmed my desire to pursue my chosen career in veterinary medicine. Currently, I have three dogs, two cats, and a fish. I have grown up with animals. My parents had them when I was born, so I have been surrounded by animals all my life. All my animals are rescues from various organizations or other situations where their owners could no longer care for them. As I write this, two of my dogs are here next to me “helping” with my essay. Animals are truly the biggest joy in my life, and my biggest dream is to help them. In addition to my various pets, I regularly interact with our neighbors’ farm animals such as horses, cattle, and even yak plus the wild animals in the area where we live. On our property, we regularly encounter bears, mountain lions, coyotes, foxes, turkeys, and bobcats. I have grown up with a healthy caution of wildlife while also being able to appreciate that we moved into their homes, and we must respect that they were here first. Whether in my own home, visiting neighbors, or hiking and working on my family’s land, there is never a day where animals are not a significant part of my life. I believe my significant involvement with a wide variety of both small and large animals has set me on the right track to begin my education and my career in veterinary medicine. As a veterinarian, I hope to make the world a better place by contributing not only to the health and wellbeing of animals but also to my community. Currently, I live in a remote area of Colorado. Our closest veterinarian is an hour drive away, and in the case of an emergency, it not only presents a challenge considering the amount of time it takes to obtain veterinarian care, but it is also very expensive to obtain care. My community is low income, and many families cannot afford to drive an hour to obtain expensive medical care for their pets. My goal after completing veterinary school is to return to my community to provide local, affordable care for rural families by establishing an affordable veterinary clinic to serve families like mine. My love of animals inspires me every day as I pursue my studies. It also inspires my work volunteering in my community. Currently, I work as a volunteer at Paws 4 Life Animal Rescue where I clean, perform office work, and socialize shy animals so they are ready for a new family. I am grateful for my rescue animals, and it makes me very happy working to match other families and animals together.

One day, my dad and I were in our yard with our dog. Our dog is a social dog who believes everyone is her friend. At that moment, a stranger walked by with a dog we did not know. Being her friendly self, our dog went to greet the other dog, and the dog attacked. It was truly a terrifying and emotional situation. When my dog was attacked, I just wanted to help, and I am very grateful the veterinarian was able to save her life. This event reaffirmed my desire to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Currently, I have three dogs, two cats, and a fish. I have grown up with animals. My parents had them when I was born, so I have been surrounded by animals all my life. All my animals are rescues from various organizations or other situations where their owners could no longer care for them. As I write this, two of my dogs are here next to me “helping” with my essay. Animals are truly the biggest joy in my life, and my biggest dream is to help them. As a veterinarian, I hope to make the world a better place by contributing not only to the health and wellbeing of animals but also to my community. Currently, I live in a remote area of Colorado. Our closest veterinarian is an hour drive away, and in the case of an emergency, it not only presents a challenge considering the amount of time it takes to obtain veterinarian care, but it is also very expensive to obtain care. My community is low income, and many families cannot afford to drive an hour to obtain expensive care for their pets. My goal after completing veterinary school is to return to my community to provide local, affordable care for rural families by establishing an affordable veterinary clinic to serve families like mine. Additionally, my research goal while I am in college and beyond is to work on research to administer more at home veterinary treatments for rural families. I recently began college at Colorado State University, Pueblo. I am majoring in Biomedical Sciences (Pre-Veterinary) with minors in Leadership Studies and Chemistry. My dream is to further advance science by studying and researching different treatment methods. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. Another of my dogs was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. Because we live so far from a veterinarian, there was no easy access to treatment. It was a scary drive down our gravel mountain road to get to the lifesaving treatment needed for my dog, and it was frustrating that there was nothing we could do for him at home. My dream is to develop an antivenom that rural families like mine can administer at home. Many rural families do not have easy access to veterinary care, and I believe more treatments could be developed for home use by these families. My family was fortunate that our dog survived the rattlesnake bite, but not all dogs are as lucky. My experience with my own dog inspired my dream of wanting to develop more at home veterinary treatments. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college to be at the forefront of new treatment methods for household pets, and through this I hope to positively impact the world through my career. Two of my dogs’ lives were saved by veterinarian care. I hope to pay it forward to my community through my career in veterinary medicine.

To me, I embody selfness through my commitment to the outdoors and my local community. Supporting my local community is important to me because living in Colorado, outdoor recreation and sustainable initiatives are lifestyle choices my family embraces. Colorado does not get the reputation as one of the healthiest states in the country for nothing. Healthy communities thrive in Colorado, and I am proud of the work I have done to help my local community thrive. In 2017, I began participating in “Dirt Camp” through Rocky Mountain Field Institute. This involved a week of trail restoration work in Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado. At age 11, this kind of manual labor was challenging and strenuous, especially in the hot Colorado sun. However, even then I learned the value of doing my part to protect our parks and trails. I continued to participate in Dirt Camp in the summers of 2018 and 2019, enjoying every minute, and knowing I was personally making a difference to the community and the outdoors. Additionally, throughout my life, I have participated in trail restoration projects through Rocky Mountain Field Institute. On my volunteer days, I spend a full day moving dirt, covering social trails, and talking with the visiting public about the importance of sustainability, proper trail maintenance, and protecting the wilderness. My work in sustainability continued when I began volunteering with Upadowna. Upadowna is a non-profit organization working to make the outdoors accessible to people of all abilities, no matter their financial situation or experience level. Through Upadowna, I have volunteered with fundraising efforts to raise funds to cover the costs of programming. All Upadowna programs are free, and we would not be able to offer free programs such as rock climbing, standup paddleboarding, and guided hikes without a great deal of fundraising efforts. Additionally, I have worked with Upadowna leading trail cleanup projects to make urban trails more accessible and user friendly to encourage people to be outdoors. Through my community service, I have learned that encouraging people to be outdoors, and making the outdoors accessible to everyone, helps build and sustain healthy communities. In the past year, in addition to my ongoing work with outdoor organizations, I have been volunteering with Paws for Life Animal Rescue. The mission of Paws for Life is to help homeless animals. I volunteer on a weekly basis at the shelter where I socialize animals, clean, and help with office work. Because I want to be a veterinarian, I am happy to provide love and care to homeless animals even before I can provide them with medical treatment. My spirit of giving to my community is a significant part of who I am, and as part of my educational program, I intend to continue serving my community. I am committed to improving the health and sustainability of my community through my current participation in the Presidential Leadership Program at Colorado State University, Pueblo. I am committed to community service through college and beyond. Community service is a value I hold close, and I encourage others to participate as well. In doing so, not only do you give back to the community and make it a better place to live, but there is also a personal sense of accomplishment knowing you have given back.

In May 2024, I graduated from Vanguard High School in Colorado. Last month, I began my college studies at Colorado State University, Pueblo where I am majoring in Biomedical Science (Pre-Veterinary) with a double minor in Chemistry and Leadership Studies. My brother and sister were adopted from Russia when they were six and seven years old. As a result of many years of abuse and neglect in a Russian orphanage, both have significant mental health challenges including Reactive Attachment Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and PTSD. I was born just four months after they were adopted, so I have lived my entire life surrounded by mental health concerns in my family. I have seen my siblings face significant challenges, and I have watched my parents struggle to find them the necessary treatment to address their mental health issues. Unfortunately, mental health treatment is not always easily available, and it can be very costly. I know my parents struggled financially to obtain mental health treatment for my siblings, having to fight with the insurance company for coverage of mental health benefits and having to cut corners financially to prioritize obtaining mental health treatment for my siblings. They have always stressed the importance of mental health care for everyone, and I admire their commitment to doing everything they could for my siblings. Growing up with two siblings impacted by mental health matters has influenced my continuous desire to be a kind and compassionate person, and to end the stigma surrounding mental health. In every interaction I have with another person, I always try and remember that they may be facing challenges or struggling. As a society, we need to all do this more often. My parents taught me the importance of mental health treatment, and they also showed me how valuable family support and unconditional love is to those faced with mental health challenges. In addition to the support my family offered my siblings, I have also seen what a significant impact our family pets have on mental health matters, and this drives my desire to be a veterinarian. Anyone who has lived with a pet knows that there are significant mental health benefits to being around an animal. Dogs and cats can help with anxiety and depression, and emotional support dogs can help with PTSD, seizures, and general anxiety. For people with significant depression, dogs and cats can have the extra benefit of reminding the individual to get up out of bed and care for the animal. When my siblings were struggling the most, and felt like they were completely alone, they would turn to our family pets for comfort. Sometimes when none of us could do anything to help them, and they had shut us all out, it was our animals who were there to make them feel less alone and to give them a reason to keep going. I want to be a veterinarian because I love animals, and I know how important animals are in our lives. Animals provide unconditional love and support to anyone struggling with mental health challenges, or even just when you are having a bad day. My cats and dogs provide me comfort and emotional support every day. When I am sad and lonely, those furry faces and little warm bodies curled up next to me offer me comfort and connection that oftentimes nothing else can match. Animals provide some of the most effective mental health treatment there is, and I look forward to caring for all animals so they can continue to do their work as undercover mental health professionals.

Recently, I began college at Colorado State University, Pueblo, beginning a new chapter in the book of my life. To me, every book I read teaches me something new, and every new experience I have becomes part of my book. I have a passion for reading and research. My love of reading comes from my mom, who raised me to be a reader. She reads every day, and we often discuss the books we are reading. When I was little, my mom would take me to the library, and I would check out every science book I could, exploring topics such as volcanoes, lizards, and black holes. My mom never put a limit on the number of books I could check out, and she never complained when there were overdue library fines because I was not quite ready to return a book. Although my family did not have much extra money, my mom always made sure there was money for new books under the Christmas tree. My passion for reading and the library continued when I volunteered for my local library’s summer reading program. I was thrilled to spend my summer helping young children find books and organizing returned books for the librarian. Who could not find joy in spending the day surrounded by books? In college, my passion for reading, research, and science will continue as I pursue a degree in Biomedical Sciences. I know college will give me new opportunities to explore my interests and delve into new areas for exploration. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. One of my dogs was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. At the time, the closest veterinarian with antivenom was an hour away in Raton, New Mexico. It was a scary drive down our gravel mountain road to get to the lifesaving treatment needed for my dog, and it was frustrating that there was nothing we could do for him at home. My goal is to develop an antivenom that rural families like ours can administer at home. Additionally, I will be working as a research intern for a professor at my college conducting research related to frogs. I feel honored that as a Freshman I will already be involved in important research. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college to be at the forefront of new treatment methods. I have no doubt that my love of reading, learning, and research comes from my childhood and the trips to the library with my mom. She inspires my love of reading and animals, and I know her love of reading will help me be successful in college and beyond.

When I reflect on my stepdad’s military service, I am proud and grateful for the hard work and dedicated service of my stepdad and other veterans. I am also proud that I model that service and commitment in my own life through my values and my volunteer work in my community. My experience as the child of a parent in the military has positively shaped me because it has inspired me to work hard and make education a priority. For ten years, my stepdad served as an active-duty soldier, caring for the mental health needs of other soldiers. He put himself through school as an enlisted soldier, serving as a mental health technician. Because he was a full-time soldier, he took classes at night and then worked the overnight shift on an inpatient psychiatric ward with active-duty soldiers all while raising his stepsons. He first obtained his bachelor’s degree in psychology, and then he went back to school to obtain a master’s in social work. He thought he would retire from the military; however, a service-connected injury resulted in his medical separation well before he was ready to walk away from active-duty service. He was not done serving his country, so he turned his military service into a career serving the mental health needs of our servicemen and women as a Rural Social Worker for the Veterans’ Administration. To me, my stepdad is the very definition of patriotism, and I am proud of his continued service to our country and to my family. Although my stepdad is no longer active-duty, he continues to serve his country by caring for veterans, who are often desperately in need of mental health services. Through my stepdad serving in this capacity, I am grateful to have learned the value of mental health treatment for everyone, especially our current and former servicemen and women. He tells me about the mental health challenges soldiers face long after they have left service. Through my stepdad, I am grateful to have learned the meaning of patriotism and commitment to our country. As the child of a parent in the military, I am reminded every day that a service member’s commitment to the citizens of the United States rarely stops when they leave active-duty service. Instead, the passion for service continues, and former soldiers like my stepdad continue to serve in any way they can. To me, being the child of a parent in the military means serving my country through my community service and dedication to making the world a better place. My stepdad is my role model, and I am proud to be his son.

Currently, I have three dogs, two cats, and a fish. I have grown up with animals. My parents had them when I was born, so I have been surrounded by animals all my life. All my animals are rescues from various organizations or other situations where their owners could no longer care for them. As I write this, two of my dogs are here next to me “helping” with my essay. Animals are truly the biggest joy in my life, and my biggest dream is to help them by becoming a veterinarian. This scholarship would help support my goal by easing the financial burden of college. As a veterinarian, I hope to make the world a better place by contributing not only to the health and wellbeing of animals but also to my community. Currently, I live in a remote area of Colorado. Our closest veterinarian is an hour away, and in an emergency, it not only presents a challenge considering the amount of time it takes to obtain veterinarian care, but it is also very expensive. My community is low income, and many families cannot afford to drive an hour to obtain expensive medical care for their pets. My goal after completing veterinary school is to return to my community to provide local, affordable care for rural families by establishing an affordable veterinary clinic to serve families like mine. Additionally, my research goal while I am in college and beyond is to work on research to administer more at home veterinary treatments for rural families. In college, I will major in Biomedical Sciences (Pre-Veterinary) with minors in Leadership Studies and Chemistry. My dream is to further advance science by studying and researching different treatment methods, and my chosen major and educational plan is the first step to achieving this dream. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. Another of my dogs was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. Because we live so far from a veterinarian, there was no easy access to treatment. It was a scary drive down our gravel mountain road to get to the lifesaving treatment needed for my dog, and it was frustrating that there was nothing we could do for him at home. My dream is to develop an antivenom that rural families like mine can administer at home. Many rural families do not have easy access to veterinary care, and I believe more treatments could be developed for home use by these families. My family was fortunate that our dog survived the rattlesnake bite, but not all dogs are as lucky. My experience with my own dog inspired my dream of wanting to develop more at home veterinary treatments. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college to be at the forefront of new treatment methods for household pets, and through this I hope to positively impact the world through my career. This scholarship would help me accomplish my dream.

When I reflect on my stepdad’s military service, I am proud and grateful for the hard work and dedicated service of my stepdad and other veterans. However, I also know that his path to obtain a higher education was not an easy one and took many years of hard work and dedication. For ten years, my stepdad served as an active-duty soldier, caring for the mental health needs of other soldiers. He put himself through school as an enlisted soldier, serving as a mental health technician. Because he was a full-time soldier, he took classes at night and then worked the overnight shift on an inpatient psychiatric ward with active-duty soldiers. He first obtained his bachelor’s degree in psychology, and then he went back to school to obtain a master’s in social work. At the same time, he was also raising a family and setting aside the time necessary to be a father and husband as well as being a soldier and student. This is not an unusual story for our military members and dependents. Pursuing higher education while also being in the military or being a military dependent is not an easy accomplishment. Being in the military often results in deployments, frequent relocations for the family members, and all the challenges and emotions that come with being a military member or dependent. This can result in a fragmented academic education as the military member or dependent attempts to become established at a new school, hoping credits will transfer. As the child of a military parent, I am reminded every day that a service member’s commitment to the citizens of the United States rarely stops when they leave active-duty service. Instead, the passion for service continues, and former soldiers like my stepdad continue to serve in any way they can. To me, being the child of a veteran means serving my country through my community service and dedication to making the world a better place. As the child of a veteran, I know the importance of serving my community, and this influences my professional goal of first attending Colorado State University, Pueblo to obtain my degree in biomedical sciences (pre-veterinary), then attending veterinary school, and then returning to my home community to open an affordable veterinary clinic for low-income families. My experience as the child of a veteran positively shaped me by teaching me the importance of commitment to education, community, and country. I am proud of my stepdad’s military service, and I look forward to giving back to my community through my volunteer work and my professional career.

One day, my dad and I were in our front yard with our dog. Our dog is a social dog who believes everyone is her friend. At that moment, a stranger walked by with a dog we did not know. Being her usual friendly self, our dog went to greet the other dog, and the dog attacked. It was truly a terrifying and emotional situation. When my dog was attacked, I just wanted to help, and I am very grateful the veterinarian was able to save her life. This event reaffirmed my desire to pursue my chosen career in veterinary medicine, and this scholarship would assist me with that goal. Currently, I have three dogs, two cats, and a fish. I have grown up with animals. My parents had them when I was born, so I have been surrounded by animals all my life. All my animals are rescues from various organizations or other situations where their owners could no longer care for them. As I write this, two of my dogs are here next to me “helping” with my essay. Animals are truly the biggest joy in my life, and my biggest dream is to help them. As a veterinarian, I hope to make the world a better place by contributing not only to the health and wellbeing of animals but also to my community. Currently, I live in a remote area of Colorado. Our closest veterinarian is an hour away, and in an emergency, it not only presents a challenge considering the amount of time it takes to obtain veterinarian care, but it is also very expensive. My community is low income, and many families cannot afford to drive an hour to obtain expensive medical care for their pets. My goal after completing veterinary school is to return to my community to provide local, affordable care for rural families by establishing an affordable veterinary clinic to serve families like mine. Additionally, my research goal while I am in college and beyond is to work on research to administer more at home veterinary treatments for rural families. In college, I will major in Biomedical Sciences (Pre-Veterinary) with minors in Leadership Studies and Chemistry. My dream is to further advance science by studying and researching different treatment methods, and my chosen major and educational plan is the first step to achieving this dream. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. Another of my dogs was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. Because we live so far from a veterinarian, there was no easy access to treatment. It was a scary drive down our gravel mountain road to get to the lifesaving treatment needed for my dog, and it was frustrating that there was nothing we could do for him at home. My dream is to develop an antivenom that rural families like mine can administer at home. Many rural families do not have easy access to veterinary care, and I believe more treatments could be developed for home use by these families. My family was fortunate that our dog survived the rattlesnake bite, but not all dogs are as lucky. My experience with my own dog inspired my dream of wanting to develop more at home veterinary treatments. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college to be at the forefront of new treatment methods for household pets, and through this I hope to positively impact the world through my career. This scholarship would help me accomplish my dream.

Currently, I have three dogs, two cats, and a fish. I have grown up with animals. My parents had them when I was born, so I have been surrounded by animals all my life. All my animals are rescues from various organizations or other situations where their owners could no longer care for them. As I write this, two of my dogs are here next to me “helping” with my essay. Animals are truly the biggest joy in my life, and my biggest dream is to help them. In addition to my various pets, I regularly interact with our neighbors’ farm animals such as horses, cattle, and even yak, plus the wild animals in the area where we live. On our property, we regularly encounter bears, mountain lions, coyotes, foxes, turkeys, and bobcats. I have grown up with a healthy caution of wildlife while also being able to appreciate that we moved into their homes, and we must respect that they were here first. Whether in my own home, visiting neighbors, or hiking and working on my family’s land, there is never a day where animals are not a significant part of my life. I believe my significant involvement with a wide variety of both small and large animals has set me on the right track to begin my education and my career in veterinary medicine. As a veterinarian, I hope to positively impact the world by contributing not only to the health and wellbeing of animals but also to my community. Currently, I live in a remote area of Colorado. Our closest veterinarian is an hour away, and in an emergency, it not only presents a challenge considering the time it takes to obtain veterinarian care, but it is also very expensive. My community is low income, and many families cannot afford to drive an hour to obtain expensive medical care for their pets. My goal after completing veterinary school is to return to my community to provide local, affordable care for rural families by establishing an affordable veterinary clinic to serve families like mine. Additionally, my research goal while I am in college and beyond is to work on research to administer more at home veterinary treatments for rural families. I recently enrolled in college at Colorado State University, Pueblo. I will be majoring in Biomedical Sciences (Pre-Veterinary) with minors in Leadership Studies and Chemistry. My dream is to further advance science by studying and researching different treatment methods. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. My dog was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. Because we live so far from a veterinarian, there was no easy access to treatment. It was a scary drive down our gravel mountain road to get to the lifesaving treatment needed for my dog, and it was frustrating that there was nothing we could do for him at home. My dream is to develop an antivenom that rural families like mine can administer at home. Many rural families do not have easy access to veterinary care, and I believe more treatments could be developed for home use by these families. My family was fortunate our dog survived the rattlesnake bite, but not all dogs are as lucky. My experience with my own dog inspired my dream of wanting to develop more at home veterinary treatments. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college to be at the forefront of new treatment methods for household pets, and through this I hope to positively impact the world through my career.

I was a shy and anxious 5-year-old when, one day, my kindergarten teacher unexpectedly announced me as the month’s “Star Student”. Now, I was no dummy in kindergarten, and I certainly knew that this was a big honor; however, I did not want to be the Star Student because part of the “prize” that came with being the Star Student was being recognized at the weekly school assembly in front of the entire school. Panic set in immediately, and I went home crying to my mother that I absolutely could not stand on a stage in front of the school. My social anxiety continued into my teen years. By the time I made it to my Senior Year, I knew I needed to find a way to better handle my anxiety. To make this change, I enrolled in a theater class. Taking this class was scary, but I knew it would help me find more security in public speaking. I successfully completed my theater class in December, earning an A and learning about facing fears, being willing to grow, and having the courage to recognize when growth is necessary. Although I do not envision myself auditioning for the upcoming high school musical, I do know that I am more comfortable speaking in front of others, and I am proud I had the courage to work through my social anxiety. . In August, I will begin my undergraduate studies in Biomedical Sciences, with the goal of being a veterinarian. Pursuing a college degree is important to me because I love animals, and my biggest dream is to help them which I hope to do after completing my education. Currently, I have three dogs, two cats, and a fish. All my animals are rescues. As I write this, two of my dogs are here next to me “helping” with my essay. As a veterinarian, I hope to make the world a better place by contributing not only to the health and wellbeing of animals but also to my community. Currently, I live in a remote area of Colorado. Our closest veterinarian is an hour away, and in the case of an emergency, it not only presents a challenge considering the time it takes to obtain veterinarian care, but it is also expensive to obtain care. My community is low income, and many families cannot afford to drive an hour to obtain expensive medical care for their pets. My goal after completing veterinary school is to return to my community to provide local, affordable care for rural families by establishing an affordable veterinary clinic to serve families like mine. I want to be a veterinarian because I love animals, and I know how important animals are in our lives. Animals provide unconditional love and support to anyone struggling with anxiety, or even just when you are having a bad day. My animals continuously provide me comfort and emotional support. When I am anxious, those furry faces and little warm bodies curled up next to me offer me comfort and connection that oftentimes nothing else can match. Our pets provide some of the most effective mental health treatment there is, and I look forward to caring for all animals so they can continue to do their work as undercover mental health professionals.

Currently, I have three dogs, two cats, and a fish. I have grown up with animals. My parents had them when I was born, so I have been surrounded by animals all my life. All my animals are rescues from various organizations or other situations where their owners could no longer care for them. As I write this, two of my dogs are here next to me “helping” with my essay. Animals are truly the biggest joy in my life, and my biggest dream is to become a veterinarian and help them. In addition to my various pets, I regularly interact with our neighbors’ farm animals such as horses, cattle, and even yak plus the wild animals in the area where we live. On our property, we regularly encounter bears, mountain lions, coyotes, foxes, turkeys, and bobcats. I have grown up with a healthy caution of wildlife while also being able to appreciate that we moved into their homes, and we must respect that they were here first. Whether in my own home, visiting neighbors, or hiking and working on my family’s land, there is never a day where animals are not a significant part of my life. I believe my significant involvement with a wide variety of both small and large animals has set me on the right track to begin my education and my career in veterinary medicine. As a veterinarian, I hope to make the world a better place by contributing not only to the health and wellbeing of animals but also to my community. Currently, I live in a remote area of Colorado. Our closest veterinarian is an hour drive away, and in the case of an emergency, it not only presents a challenge considering the amount of time it takes to obtain veterinarian care, but it is also very expensive to obtain care. My community is low income, and many families cannot afford to drive an hour to obtain expensive medical care for their pets. My goal after completing veterinary school is to return to my community to provide local, affordable care for rural families by establishing an affordable veterinary clinic to serve families like mine. Additionally, my research goal while I am in college and beyond is to work on research to administer more at home veterinary treatments for rural families. I recently enrolled in college at Colorado State University, Pueblo. I will be majoring in Biomedical Sciences with minors in Leadership Studies and Chemistry. My dream is to further advance science by studying and researching different treatment methods, and my chosen major and educational plan is the first step to achieving this dream. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. Two years ago, my dog was bitten by a rattlesnake. Because we live so far from a veterinarian, there was no easy access to treatment. It was a scary drive down our gravel mountain road to get to the lifesaving treatment needed for my dog, and it was frustrating that there was nothing we could do for him at home. My dream is to develop an antivenom that rural families like mine can administer at home. Many rural families do not have easy access to veterinary care, and I believe more treatments could be developed for home use by these families. My family was fortunate that our dog survived the rattlesnake bite, but not all dogs are as lucky. My experience with my own dog inspired my dream of wanting to develop more at home veterinary treatments. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college to be at the forefront of new treatment methods for household pets, and through this I hope to positively impact the world through my career. My dog's life was saved by veterinarian care. I hope to pay it forward to my community by first pursuing my undergraduate degree at Colorado State University, Pueblo, then transferring to Colorado State University, Fort Collins for veterinary school, and then returning to my home community of Walsenburg, Colorado to achieve my dream of becoming a rural veterinarian and providing the care my community needs.

One day, my dad and I were in our yard with our dog. Our dog is a social dog who believes everyone is her friend. At that moment, a stranger walked by with a dog we did not know. Being her friendly self, our dog went to greet the other dog, and the dog attacked. It was truly a terrifying and emotional situation. When my dog was attacked, I just wanted to help. I am very grateful the veterinarian was able to save her life, and this event reaffirmed my passion to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Currently, I have three dogs, two cats, and a fish. I have grown up with animals. My parents had them when I was born, so I have been surrounded by animals all my life. All my animals are rescues, and as I write this, two of my dogs are here next to me “helping” with my essay. Animals are truly the biggest joy in my life, and my biggest dream is to help them. As a veterinarian, I hope to make the world a better place by contributing not only to the health and wellbeing of animals but also to my community. Currently, I live in a remote area of Colorado. Our closest veterinarian is an hour away, and in an emergency, it not only presents a challenge considering the time it takes to obtain veterinarian care, but it is also very expensive. My community is low income, and many families cannot afford to drive an hour to obtain expensive medical care for their pets. My goal after completing veterinary school is to return to my community to provide local, affordable care for rural families by establishing an affordable veterinary clinic to serve families like mine. Additionally, my research goal while I am in college and beyond is to work on research to administer more at home veterinary treatments for rural families. In August, I will start college at Colorado State University, Pueblo. I will be majoring in Biomedical Sciences with minors in Leadership Studies and Chemistry. My dream is to further advance science by studying and researching different treatment methods. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. Another of my dogs was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. Because we live so far from a veterinarian, there was no easy access to treatment. It was a scary drive down our gravel mountain road to get to the lifesaving treatment needed for my dog, and it was frustrating that there was nothing we could do for him at home. My dream is to develop an antivenom that rural families like mine can administer at home. Many rural families do not have easy access to veterinary care, and I believe more treatments could be developed for home use by these families. My family was fortunate that our dog survived the rattlesnake bite, but not all dogs are as lucky. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college to be at the forefront of new treatment methods for household pets, and through this I hope to positively impact the world through my career. Two of my dogs’ lives were saved by veterinarian care. I hope to pay it forward to my community by first pursuing my undergraduate degree at Colorado State University, Pueblo, then transferring to Colorado State University, Fort Collins for veterinary school, and then returning to my home community of Walsenburg, Colorado to achieve my dream of becoming a rural veterinarian and providing the care my community needs.

In March of 2020, I was thriving in the 8th grade, and participating in many extracurricular activities including Chess Club, Rocketry Club, and working on the stage crew for theater productions as well as volunteering for several non-profit organizations focused on sustainability and green initiatives. I was fortunate to be in a small charter school offering so many opportunities to expand myself as an individual. However, in March, the Covid pandemic dominated the world, and my life and educational opportunities changed in a minute. Like most students, I completed the 2019/2020 school year at home on my laptop, leaving my extracurricular activities behind. However, when the second semester of the 2020/2021 school year approached, my family had to decide whether to send me back to school in person with my friends, or to keep me at home attending school online. Ultimately, my parents made the decision to keep me at home due to my asthma. I do not remember the day I was diagnosed with asthma. I was too young to remember. However, my parents have told me stories about my regular hospital admissions, and the scary drives that often preceded these admissions when they would awaken in the middle of the night to find me wheezing and struggling to take a breath. Although I do not remember these hospitalizations, I do know what it is like to live with asthma every day. Because of this, I understood when my parents made the decision in the fall of 2020 to have me continue my education at home instead of returning to in person school for my freshman year of high school. My parents have always been a strong support system for me, and I trust their judgement. As my transcript shows, this clearly proved that although it was likely the best decision for my health, it was not a good decision from an academic perspective. I will be the first to admit that I struggle with remote learning. I thrive in a classroom with an attentive teacher and committed students, and I always enjoyed my involvement in extracurricular activities. Attending school at home meant I lost all of these aspects of the in-person educational experience, and my grades struggled significantly as a result. By the end of my freshman year, my previously excellent GPA was below a 2.0. For my sophomore year, I returned to in person schooling, and I knew I would have to find a way to improve my academic performance. I have always wanted to be a veterinarian, and I knew that I needed to significantly improve my GPA to achieve that dream. As a result, I studied hard, worked with my teachers, and put as much effort as possible into improving my GPA. My parents and my teachers supported my efforts, encouraged me, and helped me study. Now, having just finished high school, my GPA has improved to a 3.1, and I am proud of this achievement. Having achieved better academic standing, my next goal is to attend Colorado State University to study Biomedical Sciences to eventually become a veterinarian. Although I know that college will present new adversities, I have learned that with hard work I am able to overcome challenges and succeed. As a veterinarian, I plan to further advance science by researching different treatment methods. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. My dog was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. At the time, the closest veterinarian with antivenom was an hour away in New Mexico. It was a scary drive down our gravel mountain road to get to the lifesaving treatment needed for my dog, and it was frustrating that there was nothing we could do for him at home. My goal is to develop an antivenom that rural families like mine can administer at home. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college to be at the forefront of new treatment methods. I know my desire to obtain a veterinary degree after my undergraduate degree comes with a very large price tag. However, I am committed to my goal of being a veterinarian, and this scholarship would provide much needed financial assistance in achieving that goal. I appreciate your consideration of my essay.

My brother and sister were adopted from Russia when they were six and seven years old. As a result of many years of abuse and neglect in a Russian orphanage, both have significant mental health challenges including Reactive Attachment Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and PTSD. I was born just four months after they were adopted, so I have lived my entire life surrounded by mental health concerns in my family. I have seen my siblings face significant challenges, and I have watched my parents struggle to find them the necessary treatment to address their mental health issues. Unfortunately, mental health treatment is not always easily available, and it can be very costly. I know my parents struggled financially to obtain mental health treatment for my siblings, having to fight with the insurance company for coverage of mental health benefits and having to cut corners financially to prioritize obtaining mental health treatment for my siblings. They have always stressed the importance of mental health care for everyone, and I admire their commitment to doing everything they could for my siblings. Growing up with two siblings impacted by mental health matters has influenced my continuous desire to be a kind and compassionate person. In every interaction I have with another person, I always try and remember that they may be facing challenges or struggling. My parents taught me the importance of mental health treatment, and they also showed me how valuable family support and unconditional love is to those faced with mental health challenges. In addition to the support my family offered my siblings, I have also seen what a significant impact our family pets have on mental health matters, and this drives my desire to be a veterinarian. Anyone who has lived with a pet knows that there are significant mental health benefits to being around an animal. Dogs and cats can help with anxiety and depression, and emotional support dogs can help with PTSD, seizures, and general anxiety. For people with significant depression, dogs and cats can have the extra benefit of reminding the individual to get up out of bed and care for the animal. When my siblings were struggling the most, and felt like they were completely alone, they would turn to our family pets for comfort. Sometimes when none of us could do anything to help them, and they had shut us all out, it was our cats and dogs who were there to make them feel less alone and to give them a reason to keep going. I want to be a veterinarian because I love animals, and I know how important animals are in our lives. Animals provide unconditional love and support to anyone struggling with mental health challenges, or even just when you are having a bad day. My cats and dogs provide me comfort and emotional support every day. When I am sad and lonely, those furry faces and little warm bodies curled up next to me offer me comfort and connection that oftentimes nothing else can match. Animals provide some of the most effective mental health treatment there is, and I look forward to caring for all animals so they can continue to do their work as undercover mental health professionals.

Two weeks ago, I graduated from the Vanguard School in Colorado Springs. For me, college is a new chapter in the story of my life and a way to start fresh. I consider myself fortunate to have attended high school in a uniquely tailed academic environment, and I have no doubt the education I received at the Vanguard School has helped move me towards my dream of being a veterinarian. I started kindergarten at my small charter school when I was 5 years old. In May, at the age of 17, I graduated from the same school. My school has always been a safe place for me. For thirteen years, I have been surrounded by supportive teachers, friends I have known most of my life, and a small classroom environment where I have received an excellent education. Now I find myself faced with a new chapter in my life. In August, I will start college at Colorado State University, Pueblo, a large State University an hour from my current school. This will be the first time I have gone to school somewhere different. I am proud of my academic successes so far in life, but I will admit it is a little overwhelming to go into a new environment where I will need to meet new friends, have new experiences, and learn new things. Starting fresh can be very beneficial, but it can also be very scary. I consider myself fortunate to have gone to the same school for my entire education. For most students, even if they do not relocate to a different area, they will still generally change schools from elementary school to middle school or junior high, and finally to high school. This was not the case for me, and as a result, I was able to form strong relationships with my classmates and teachers. Some of my teachers I have had multiple years, and I still see my kindergarten teacher regularly. They all know me by name, they know my hopes and fears, and they know who I am as a person and student. This educational environment has helped me develop the skills that will help me in college, and it has especially taught me the importance of building a strong network of supporters and nurturing valuable relationships. After completing my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences, I plan to attend veterinary school. My professional goal is to return to my home community to open an affordable veterinary practice for low-income families. My community desperately needs an affordable veterinarian. However, to be successful as the owner of a veterinary medicine practice, I will need to be able to interact with a diverse population of clients. I will need to be able to take charge in an emergency, explain to pet owners about their animal’s condition, and offer comfort when someone loses a pet. These situations will require me to have strong communication and relationship building skills, which I was able to develop because of the small charter school environment in which I received my education. I am grateful that my unique high school education experience set me on the path to achieving my dreams.

If I could have everyone in the world read just one book, it would be 1984 by George Orwell. In my school, 1984 was part of our curriculum, and I believe it should be mandatory reading for all students. Although it was published 75 years ago, this dystopian novel still resonates today. I believe it should be mandatory reading because it reminds us to think for ourselves and to not believe everything we hear. With the internet and social media being a part of our daily lives, it is important to engage in critical thinking. 1984 is often considered a “banned book” which is another reason why I believe everyone should read it. If someone is telling you not to read something, you definitely need to read it. Throughout my life, my mother has encouraged my love of thinking, reading, and books. When I was little, my mom would take me to the library, and I would check out every science book I could, exploring topics such as volcanoes, lizards, and black holes. Nothing was off limits when I selected books at the library, and although my family did not have much extra money, my mom always made sure there were new books under the Christmas tree. I am fortunate that I belong to a family of independent thinking readers who have never tried to dictate what I read. I believe that all books have value and a place in society. The idea of anyone deciding for me what I should or should not read is confusing at best, and offensive at worst. Although children should be raised to be respectful of adults, they should also be raised to think independently, discover the world around them through reading and exploring, and make their own judgement decisions. I am fortunate to have been raised by parents who have let me explore the world. By the age of 16, I had seen all 50 United States and several different countries. I believe that my parents’ support of my love of reading made me the world traveler I have become. Reading early opened my eyes to the world and the amazing discoveries to be found in it. Everyone should be encouraged to read as much as possible, and books like 1984 open our eyes to the importance of critical thinking, a skill that is more valuable in today’s society than ever before.

One day, I was in the yard with my dog. My dog is a social dog who believes everyone is her friend. At that moment, a stranger walked by with a dog I did not know. Being her friendly self, our dog went to say hello, and the dog attacked. It was truly a terrifying and emotional situation. When my dog was attacked, I just wanted to help. I am very grateful the veterinarian was able to save her life. This reaffirmed my desire to pursue veterinary medicine and is why veterinary medicine is my chosen career. Currently, I have three dogs, two cats, and a fish. I have grown up with animals. My parents had them when I was born, so I have been surrounded by animals all my life. All my animals are rescues from various organizations or other situations where their owners could no longer care for them. In addition to my pets, I regularly interact with our neighbors’ farm animals such as horses, cattle, and even yak plus the wild animals in the area where I live. On our property, we regularly encounter bears, mountain lions, coyotes, turkeys, and bobcats. I have grown up with a healthy caution of wildlife while also appreciating we moved into their homes, and we must respect that they were here first. Whether at home, visiting neighbors, or hiking and working on my family’s land, there is never a day where animals are not a part of my life. I believe my involvement with a wide variety of both small and large animals gives me a unique outlook and sets me apart from others pursuing veterinary medicine. Currently, I live in a remote area of Colorado. Our closest veterinarian is an hour away, and in the case of an emergency, it not only presents a challenge considering the amount of time it takes to obtain veterinarian care, but it is also very expensive to obtain care. I live in a low-income community, and many families cannot afford to drive an hour to obtain expensive medical care for their pets. My goal after completing veterinary school is to return to my community to provide local, affordable care for rural families. Many of the families in my community cannot afford to obtain medical care for themselves, much less their family pets. I hope to ease the financial burden of these families by returning to my home community and establishing an affordable veterinary clinic to serve families like mine. Additionally, my research goal while I am in college and beyond is to work on research to administer more home veterinary treatments for rural families. In August, I will start college at Colorado State University, Pueblo. I will be majoring in Biomedical Sciences. My goal is to further advance science by studying and researching different treatment methods. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. Another of my dogs was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. Because we live so far from a veterinarian, there was no easy access to treatment, but fortunately, the veterinarian was able to save his life. My goal is to develop an antivenom that rural families can administer at home. Many rural families do not have easy access to veterinary care, and I believe more treatments could be developed for home use. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college to be at the forefront of new treatment methods for household pets, and through this I hope to positively impact my community through my career of veterinary medicine.

In March of 2020, I was thriving in the 8th grade, and participating in many extracurricular activities including Chess Club, Rocketry Club, and working on the Stage Crew for theater productions. I was fortunate to be in a small charter school offering so many opportunities to expand myself as an individual. However, in March, the Covid pandemic dominated the world, and my life and educational opportunities changed in a minute. Like most students, I completed the 2019/2020 school year at home on my laptop, leaving my extracurricular activities behind. However, when the 2020/2021 school year approached, my family had to decide on whether to send me back to school in person with my friends, or to keep me at home attending school online. Ultimately, my parents made the decision to keep me at home due to my asthma. I do not remember the day I was diagnosed with asthma. I was too young to remember. However, my parents have told me stories about my regular hospital admissions, and the scary drives that often preceded these admissions when they would awaken in the middle of the night to find me wheezing and struggling to take a breath. Although I do not remember many of these hospitalizations, I do know what it is like to live with asthma every day. Because of this, I understood when my parents made the decision in the fall of 2020 to have me continue my education at home instead of returning to in person school for my freshman year of high school. As my transcript shows, this clearly proved that although it was likely the best decision for my health, it was not a good decision from an academic perspective. I will be the first to admit that I struggle with remote learning, and in my opinion, remote learning leaves much to be desired for many students. I thrive in a classroom with an attentive teacher and committed students, and I always enjoyed my involvement in extracurricular activities. Attending school at home meant I lost these aspects of the in-person educational experience, and my grades struggled significantly as a result. By the end of my freshman year, my previously excellent GPA was below a 2.0. For my sophomore year, I returned to in person schooling, and I knew I would have to find a way to overcome my poor academic performance. I have always wanted to be a veterinarian, and I knew that I needed to significantly improve my GPA to achieve that dream. As a result, I studied hard, worked with my teachers, and put as much effort as possible into improving my GPA. Now, in my last semester of high school my GPA has improved to a 3.0, and I am proud of this achievement. For me, overcoming the adversity of starting high school online instead of in school with my friends was challenging. It not only impacted my GPA, but it also impacted my mental health. When I returned to in person school for my sophomore year, it was difficult to join the class of students who had already spent a full year together. It left me feeling isolated, and it took time to build relationships. Now, with my graduation only six days away, I have not only made friends, but my senior classmates elected me “Lead Cap Thrower” for our graduation ceremony. I am proud of my ability to turn my life around, build relationships, and improve my academic performance.

One day, my dad and I were in our yard with our dog, Switch. Switch is a social dog who believes everyone is her friend. At that moment, a stranger walked by with a dog we did not know. Being her friendly self, Switch went to greet the dog, and the dog attacked. It was truly a terrifying and emotional situation. When my dog was attacked, I just wanted to help, and I was scared the veterinarian would be closed. I am very grateful the veterinarian was open and able to save her life. This reaffirmed my desire to pursue veterinary medicine and is why veterinary medicine is my chosen career. Currently, I have three dogs, two cats, and a fish. I have grown up with animals. My parents had them when I was born, so I have been surrounded by animals all my life. All my animals are rescues from various organizations or other situations where their owners could no longer care for them. As I write this, two of my dogs are here next to me “helping” with my essay. Animals are truly the biggest joy in my life. In addition to my various pets, I regularly interact with our neighbors’ farm animals such as horses, cattle, and even yak plus the wild animals in the area where we live. On our property, we regularly encounter bears, mountain lions, coyotes, foxes, turkeys, and bobcats. I have grown up with a healthy caution of wildlife while also being able to appreciate that we moved into their homes, and we must respect that they were here first. Whether in my own home, visiting neighbors, or hiking and working on my family’s land, there is never a day where animals are not a significant part of my life. I believe my significant involvement with a wide variety of both small and large animals will give me a unique outlook and set me apart from others also pursuing veterinary medicine. Currently, I live in a remote area of Colorado. Our closest veterinarian is an hour away, and in the case of an emergency, it not only presents a challenge considering the amount of time it takes to obtain veterinarian care, but it is also very expensive to obtain care. Where I live, Huerfano County, Colorado, is low income, and many families cannot afford to drive an hour to obtain expensive medical care for their pets. My goal after completing veterinary school is to return to my community to provide local, affordable care for rural families. Many of the families in my area cannot afford to obtain medical care for themselves, much less their family pets. I hope to ease the financial burden of these families and provide unique value by returning to my home community and establishing an affordable veterinary clinic to serve families like mine. Additionally, my research goal while I am in college and beyond is to work on research to administer more home veterinary treatments for rural families. In August, I will start college at Colorado State University, Pueblo. I will be majoring in Biomedical Sciences. My goal is to further advance science by studying and researching different treatment methods. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. Another of my dogs was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. Because we live so far from a veterinarian, there was no easy access to treatment. My goal is to develop an antivenom that rural families can administer at home. Many rural families do not have easy access to veterinary care, and I believe more treatments could be developed for home use. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college to be at the forefront of new treatment methods for household pets, and through this I hope to positively impact my community through my chosen career of veterinary medicine. For me, mediocrity simply is not an option. I have worked hard in school, and I also work hard in my community through my volunteer work. Currently, I volunteer on trail restoration and clean-up projects through several non-profit organizations, and I also volunteer with Pueblo Food Project in Pueblo, Colorado to help in my community with matters of food insecurity. In addition to my volunteer work, I participate in numerous extracurricular activities in school including rocketry, theater and stage crew, and Matchwits. As I near my high school graduation, I am excited to begin college to gain the skills and education I need to return to my community to serve animals and their owners. Thank you for your consideration.

One day, my dad and I were in our yard with our dog, Switch. Switch is a social dog who believes everyone is her friend. At that moment, a stranger walked by with a dog we did not know. Being her friendly self, Switch went to greet the dog, and the dog attacked. It was truly a terrifying and emotional situation. When my dog was attacked, I just wanted to help, and I was scared the veterinarian would be closed. I am very grateful the veterinarian was open and able to save her life. This reaffirmed my desire to pursue veterinary medicine and is why veterinary medicine is my chosen career. Currently, I have three dogs, two cats, and a fish. I have grown up with animals. My parents had them when I was born, so I have been surrounded by animals all my life. All my animals are rescues from various organizations or other situations where their owners could no longer care for them. As I write this, two of my dogs are here next to me “helping” with my essay. Animals are truly the biggest joy in my life. In addition to my various pets, I regularly interact with our neighbors’ farm animals such as horses, cattle, and even yak plus the wild animals in the area where we live. On our property, we regularly encounter bears, mountain lions, coyotes, foxes, turkeys, and bobcats. I have grown up with a healthy caution of wildlife while also being able to appreciate that we moved into their homes, and we must respect that they were here first. Whether in my own home, visiting neighbors, or hiking and working on my family’s land, there is never a day where animals are not a significant part of my life. I believe my significant involvement with a wide variety of both small and large animals will give me a unique outlook and set me apart from others also pursuing veterinary medicine. Currently, I live in a remote area of Colorado. Our closest veterinarian is an hour away, and in the case of an emergency, it not only presents a challenge considering the amount of time it takes to obtain veterinarian care, but it is also very expensive to obtain care. Where I live, Huerfano County, Colorado, is low income, and many families cannot afford to drive an hour to obtain expensive medical care for their pets. My goal after completing veterinary school is to return to my community to provide local, affordable care for rural families. Many of the families in my area cannot afford to obtain medical care for themselves, much less their family pets. I hope to ease the financial burden of these families and provide unique value by returning to my home community and establishing an affordable veterinary clinic to serve families like mine.

One day, my dad and I were in our yard with our dog, Switch. Switch is a social dog who believes everyone is her friend. At that moment, a stranger walked by with an unfamiliar dog. Being her friendly self, Switch went to greet the dog, and the dog attacked. It was a terrifying situation. When my dog was attacked, I just wanted to help, and I was scared the veterinarian would be closed. I am very grateful the veterinarian was able to save her life. This reaffirmed my desire to pursue veterinary science. Currently, I have three dogs, two cats, and a fish. I have grown up with animals. My parents had them when I was born, so I have been surrounded by animals all my life. Animals are the greatest joy in my life, and this drives my desire to pursue a career as a veterinarian. As a veterinarian, I hope to positively impact the world by contributing to the health and wellbeing of animals. Currently, I live in a remote area of Colorado. Our closest veterinarian is an hour drive away, and in the case of an emergency, it not only presents a challenge considering the amount of time it takes to obtain veterinarian care, but it is also very expensive to obtain care. Where I live, Huerfano County, Colorado, is low income, and many families cannot afford to drive an hour to obtain expensive medical care for their pets. My goal after completing veterinary school is to return to my community to provide local, affordable care for rural families. I hope to ease the financial burden on these families by returning to my home community and establishing an affordable veterinary clinic to serve families like mine. All my animals are rescues from various organizations or other situations where their owners could no longer care for them. Two of my dogs were adopted from an organization dedicated to rescuing mill dogs from the atrocious conditions in which they are bred for profit. Because my dogs came from difficult circumstances, they have required a lot of patience and work to overcome their past traumas. However, they show me the same patience when I am sad or upset. My dogs love me unconditionally, and their joy when I come home from school every day makes even the worst day so much better. Anyone who has lived with a pet knows that there are significant mental health benefits to being around an animal. Dogs and cats can help with anxiety and depression, and emotional support dogs can help with PTSD, seizures, and general anxiety. In the times in my life when I have struggled and felt alone, I have turned to my family pets for comfort. Sometimes when no one else seems to understand how I am feeling, it is my cats and dogs who are able to make me feel better. I want to be a veterinarian because I love animals, and I know how important animals are in our lives. Animals provide unconditional love and support to anyone struggling with mental health challenges, or even just when you are having a bad day. My animals continuously provide me comfort and emotional support. When I am sad and lonely, those furry faces and little warm bodies curled up next to me offer me comfort and connection that oftentimes nothing else can match. Our pets provide some of the most effective mental health treatment there is, and I look forward to caring for all animals so they can continue to do their work as undercover mental health professionals.

My whole family loves movies, and in the time between the announcement of the Academy Awards and the night of the Oscars, we see as many of the nominated movies as we can. This year, the movie that had the greatest impact on me was Society of the Snow which received Academy Award nominations for Best International Feature Film and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Society of the Snow chronicles the true story of the Uruguayan rugby team who were involved in a plane crash in the Andes mountains and resorted to cannibalism to survive. As I was watching this movie, I felt so fortunate to be sitting in a warm movie theater, eating popcorn, and knowing I was going home to my warm bed. Although I am fortunate that I have not ever been in a plane crash struggling to survive, I have known the adversity that can come from being stuck in a remote area. Last summer, my dog was bitten by a rattlesnake outside our house. Our closest veterinarian is an hour away, and it was a very scary drive down a gravel, mountain road to get to the antivenom needed to save his life. In the winter months, our road can be impassable, and if there is an emergency with an animal, that animal could potentially die because it is impossible to get veterinary care. My dream job is to return to the rural area where I currently live after college to provide much needed veterinary care to my community. Where I live, Huerfano County, Colorado, is low income, and many families cannot afford to drive an hour to obtain expensive medical care for their pets. My goal after completing Veterinary School, and my dream job, is to return to my community to provide local, affordable care for rural families. The remote area in the Colorado mountains where my family lives can be a very harsh climate. In the winter, it is common for us to not be able to leave our property, and in an emergency, getting to medical care can be impossible. However, with the exception of a major winter storm, my family can generally access medical care and other basic supplies necessary for survival. Watching Society of the Snow made me feel very grateful that I was not in survival mode. This had a major impact on my life, and it made me so much more grateful for everything I have.

My brother and sister were adopted from Russia when they were six and seven years old. As a result of many years of abuse and neglect in a Russian orphanage, both have significant mental health challenges including Reactive Attachment Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and PTSD. I was born just four months after they were adopted, so I have lived my entire life surrounded by mental health concerns in my family. I have seen my siblings face significant challenges, and I have watched my parents struggle to find them the necessary treatment to address their mental health issues. Unfortunately, mental health treatment is not always easily available, and it can be very costly. I know my parents struggled financially to obtain mental health treatment for my siblings, having to fight with the insurance company for coverage of mental health treatment and in-patient psychiatric stays and having to cut corners financially to prioritize obtaining mental health treatment for my siblings. They have always stressed the importance of mental health care for everyone, and I admire their commitment to doing everything they could for my siblings, despite the financial challenges. Growing up with two siblings impacted by mental health matters has influenced my continuous desire to be a kind and compassionate person. In every interaction I have with another person, I always try and remember that they may be facing challenges or struggling. My parents taught me the importance of mental health treatment, and they also showed me how valuable family support and unconditional love is to those faced with mental health challenges. In addition to the support my family offered my siblings, I have also seen what a significant impact our family pets have on mental health matters, and this drives my desire to be a veterinarian. Anyone who has lived with a pet knows that there are significant mental health benefits to being around an animal. Dogs and cats can help with anxiety and depression, and emotional support dogs can help with PTSD, seizures, and general anxiety. For people with significant depression, dogs and cats can have the extra benefit of reminding the individual to get up out of bed and care for the animal. When my siblings were struggling the most, and felt like they were completely alone, they would turn to our family pets for comfort. Sometimes when none of us could do anything to help them, and they had shut us all out, it was our cats and dogs who were there to make them feel less alone and to give them a reason to keep going. I want to be a veterinarian because I love animals, and I know how important animals are in our lives. Animals provide unconditional love and support to anyone struggling with mental health challenges, or even just when you are having a bad day. My cats and dogs provide me comfort and emotional support every day. When I am sad and lonely, those furry faces and little warm bodies curled up next to me offer me comfort and connection that oftentimes nothing else can match. Animals provide some of the most effective mental health treatment there is, and I look forward to caring for all animals so they can continue to do their work as undercover mental health professionals.

For me, success looks like overcoming challenges in high school to get where I am today. In March of 2020, I was thriving in the 8th grade, and participating in many extracurricular activities including Chess Club, Rocketry Club, and working on the Stage Crew for theater productions. I was looking forward to the upcoming 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony which is held every year at my school to honor the 8th graders who are moving up to high school. Because I had been at my small charter school since I was in kindergarten, I knew that the Moving Up Ceremony was a big deal. However, in March, the Covid pandemic dominated the world, and my life changed in a minute. Like most students, I completed the 2019/2020 school year at home on my laptop, leaving my extracurricular activities behind. However, when the 2020/2021 school year approached, my family had to make a decision on whether to send me back to school in person with my friends, or to keep me at home attending school online. Ultimately, my parents made the decision to keep me at home due to my asthma. I do not remember the day I was diagnosed with asthma. I was too young to remember. However, my parents have told me stories about my regular hospital admissions, and the scary drives that often preceded these admissions when they would awaken in the middle of the night to find me wheezing and struggling to take a breath. Although I do not remember these hospitalizations, I do know what it is like to live with asthma every day. Because of this, I understood when my parents made the decision in the fall of 2020 to have me continue my education at home instead of returning to in person school for my freshman year of high school. As my transcript shows, this clearly proved that although it was likely the best decision for my health, it was not a good decision from an academic perspective. I will be the first to admit that I struggle with remote learning. I thrive being in a classroom with an attentive teacher and committed students, and I always enjoyed my involvement in extracurricular activities. Attending school at home meant I lost all of these aspects of the in-person educational experience, and my grades struggled significantly as a result. By the end of my freshman year, my previously excellent GPA was below a 2.0. For my sophomore year, I returned to in person schooling, and I knew I would have to find a way to improve my academic performance. I have always wanted to be a veterinarian, and I knew that I needed to significantly improve my GPA to achieve that dream. As a result, I studied hard, worked with my teachers, and put as much effort as possible into improving my GPA. Now, in my last semester of high school my GPA has improved to a 3.0, and I am proud of this achievement. To me, my ability to work hard to overcome challenges is a huge success. Having achieved better academic standing, my next goal is to attend Colorado State University to study Biomedical Sciences in order to eventually become a veterinarian. Being a veterinarian will come with many years of schooling, and a huge amount of expenses. The average veterinary student leaves school with $185,000 in debt, and I am doing everything I can to work hard, save money, apply for scholarships, and reduce what I will owe in loans upon graduation. This scholarship opportunity would help me achieve my goal of being a veterinarian, and I am grateful for your consideration.

This new chapter of my life would be titled “Someplace New”. I started kindergarten at my small charter school when I was 5 years old. In May, at the age of 17, I will graduate from the same school. My school has always been a safe place for me. For thirteen years, I have been surrounded by supportive teachers, friends I have known most of my life, and a small classroom environment where I have received an excellent education. Now I find myself faced with a new chapter in a new book. In August, I will start college at Colorado State University, Pueblo. This will be the first time I have gone to school somewhere different. I am proud of my academic successes so far in life, but I will admit it is scary and overwhelming to go into a new environment where I will need to meet new friends, have new experiences, and learn new things. However, I know college will provide me with new opportunities that were not available in a small charter school. For me, reading has been a lifelong passion that continues no matter how busy life may be. When I was little, my mom would take me to the library, and I would check out every science book I could, exploring topics such as volcanoes, lizards, and black holes. Although my family did not have much extra money, my mom always made sure there was money for new books under the Christmas tree. My passion for reading and the library continued when I volunteered for my local library’s summer reading program. I was thrilled to spend my summer helping young children find books and organizing returned books for the librarian. Who could not find joy in spending the day surrounded by books? In college, my passion for reading, research, and science will continue as I pursue a degree in Biomedical Sciences. As part of my education and my professional career, I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research. I know I will always be a reader, and I am grateful this scholarship recognizes readers like me in memory of Angelia Zeigler Gibbs. This scholarship would provide much needed financial assistance towards my goals, and I appreciate your consideration.

In March 2020, I was thriving in 8th grade, and looking forward to the upcoming 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony which is held every year at my school to honor the 8th graders who are moving up to high school. Because I had been at my small charter school since kindergarten, I knew that the ceremony was a big deal. However, in March, the Covid pandemic dominated the world, and my life changed in a minute. Like most students, I completed the 2019/2020 school year at home on my laptop. However, when the 2020/2021 school year approached, my family had to decide whether to send me back to school in person with my friends, or to keep me at home attending school online. Ultimately, my parents decided to keep me at home due to my asthma. I do not remember the day I was diagnosed with asthma. I was too young to remember. However, my parents have told me stories about my regular hospital admissions, and the scary drives that often preceded these admissions when they would awaken in the middle of the night to find me wheezing and struggling to breathe. Although I do not remember these hospitalizations, I do know what it is like to live with asthma every day. Because of this, I understood when my parents made the decision to have me continue my education at home instead of returning to in person school for my Freshman year. As my transcript shows, this clearly proved that although it was likely the best decision for my health, it was not a good decision from an academic perspective. I will be the first to admit that I struggle with remote learning. I thrive in a classroom with an attentive teacher and committed students. Attending school at home meant I lost these aspects, and my grades struggled significantly as a result. By the end of my Freshman year, my previously excellent GPA was below a 2.0. For my Sophomore year, I returned to in person schooling, and I knew I would have to find a way to improve my academic performance. I studied hard, worked with my teachers, and put as much effort as possible into improving my GPA. Now, in my last semester of high school my GPA has improved to a 3.0, and I am proud of this achievement. Having achieved better academic standing, my next goal is to attend Colorado State University, Pueblo to study Biomedical Sciences to eventually become a veterinarian. My goal is to advance science by studying and researching different treatment methods during college and beyond. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. My dog was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. Because we live so far from a veterinarian, there was no easy access to treatment. My goal is to develop an antivenom that rural families like ours can administer at home. Many rural families do not have easy access to veterinary care, and I believe more treatments could be developed for home use. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college to be at the forefront of new treatment methods for pets. I am grateful to my parents for shaping the person I am today, and I hope to give back to the community, the way they have raised me to do. Thank you for supporting students like me through your scholarship in memory of Donald. My father is also an Army Veteran, and I am grateful to all our servicemen and servicewomen for the sacrifices they made.

In March 2020, I was thriving in 8th grade, and looking forward to the upcoming 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony which is held every year at my school to honor the 8th graders who are moving up to high school. Because I had been at my small charter school since I was in kindergarten, I knew that the ceremony was a big deal. However, in March, the Covid pandemic dominated the world, and my life changed in a minute. Like most students, I completed the 2019/2020 school year at home on my laptop. However, when the 2020/2021 school year approached, my family had to decide whether to send me back to school in person with my friends, or to keep me at home attending school online. Ultimately, my parents decided to keep me at home due to my asthma. I do not remember the day I was diagnosed with asthma. I was too young to remember. However, my parents have told me stories about my regular hospital admissions, and the scary drives that often preceded these admissions when they would awaken in the middle of the night to find me wheezing and struggling to breathe. Although I do not remember these hospitalizations, I do know what it is like to live with asthma every day. Because of this, I understood when my parents made the decision to have me continue my education at home instead of returning to in person school for my Freshman year. As my transcript shows, this clearly proved that although it was likely the best decision for my health, it was not a good decision from an academic perspective. I will be the first to admit that I struggle with remote learning. I thrive in a classroom with an attentive teacher and committed students. Attending school at home meant I lost these aspects, and my grades struggled significantly as a result. By the end of my Freshman year, my previously excellent GPA was below a 2.0. For my Sophomore year, I returned to in person schooling, and I knew I would have to find a way to improve my academic performance. I studied hard, worked with my teachers, and put as much effort as possible into improving my GPA. Now, in my last semester of high school my GPA has improved to a 3.0, and I am proud of this achievement. Having overcome adversity and achieved better academic standing, my next goal is to attend Colorado State University, Pueblo to study Biomedical Sciences to eventually become a veterinarian. My dream is to advance science by studying and researching different treatment methods during college and beyond. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. My dog was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. Because we live so far from a veterinarian, there was no easy access to treatment. My goal is to develop an antivenom that rural families like ours can administer at home. Many rural families do not have easy access to veterinary care, and I believe more treatments could be developed for home use. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college to be at the forefront of new treatment methods for pets. I am grateful to my parents for shaping the person I am today, and I hope to give back to the community, the way they have raised me to do. Thank you for supporting students like me through your scholarship. I know you will have a difficult decision to make, and I thank you for your consideration.

In March 2020, I was thriving in 8th grade, and looking forward to the upcoming 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony which is held every year at my school to honor the 8th graders who are moving up to high school. Because I had been at my small charter school since I was in kindergarten, I knew that the ceremony was a big deal. However, in March, the Covid pandemic dominated the world, and my life changed in a minute. Like most students, I completed the 2019/2020 school year at home on my laptop. However, when the 2020/2021 school year approached, my family had to decide whether to send me back to school in person with my friends, or to keep me at home attending school online. Ultimately, my parents decided to keep me at home due to my asthma. I do not remember the day I was diagnosed with asthma. I was too young to remember. However, my parents have told me stories about my regular hospital admissions, and the scary drives that often preceded these admissions when they would awaken in the middle of the night to find me wheezing and struggling to breathe. Although I do not remember these hospitalizations, I do know what it is like to live with asthma every day. Because of this, I understood when my parents made the decision to have me continue my education at home instead of returning to in person school for my Freshman year. As my transcript shows, this clearly proved that although it was likely the best decision for my health, it was not a good decision from an academic perspective. I will be the first to admit that I struggle with remote learning. I thrive in a classroom with an attentive teacher and committed students. Attending school at home meant I lost these aspects, and my grades struggled significantly as a result. By the end of my Freshman year, my previously excellent GPA was below a 2.0. For my Sophomore year, I returned to in person schooling, and I knew I would have to find a way to improve my academic performance. I studied hard, worked with my teachers, and put as much effort as possible into improving my GPA. Now, in my last semester of high school my GPA has improved to a 3.0, and I am proud of this achievement. Having achieved better academic standing, my next goal is to attend Colorado State University, Pueblo to study Biomedical Sciences to eventually become a veterinarian. My goal is to advance science by studying and researching different treatment methods during college and beyond. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. My dog was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. Because we live so far from a veterinarian, there was no easy access to treatment. My goal is to develop an antivenom that rural Colorado families like mine can administer at home. Many rural families do not have easy access to veterinary care, and I believe more treatments could be developed for home use. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college to be at the forefront of new treatment methods for pets. I am grateful to my parents for shaping the person I am today, and I hope to give back to the community, the way they have raised me to do. Thank you for supporting students like me through the scholarship in memory of Evan. I know you will have a difficult decision to make, and I thank you for your consideration.

My stepdad, Paul, is an Army veteran. His story, and his service to our country will influence my success in college, because I will always be thinking of how hard he worked to achieve his educational and professional goals. For ten years, my stepdad served as an active-duty solider caring for the mental health needs of other soldiers. He put himself through school as an enlisted soldier, serving as a mental health technician. At the time, his MOS was 91x, which is now 61x. Because he was a full-time soldier, he took classes at night and then worked the overnight shift on an inpatient psychiatric ward with active-duty soldiers. In addition to that, he was raising four sons during that time. It goes without saying, that he did not get much sleep during this period of his life. However, he first obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and then he went back to school to obtain a Master’s in Social Work. Now, my stepdad serves as a Rural Social Worker for the Veterans Administration. In this capacity, he travels around rural Colorado providing much needed mental health services to veterans in rural areas who otherwise may not have access to such services. Although my stepdad is no longer on active-duty status, he continues to serve his country by caring for veterans, who are often desperately in need of mental health services. Through my stepdad serving in this capacity, I have learned the value of mental health treatment for everyone, especially our current and former servicemen and women. He often tells me stories about the mental health challenges soldiers face long after they have left the service. Through my stepdad, I have also learned the value of commitment to education even though it requires immense sacrifice. The example he has shown me through his hard work will drive my commitment to succeeding in my own educational journey in college. As the child of a military parent, I am reminded every day that a service member’s commitment to the citizens of the United States rarely stops when they leave active-duty service. Instead, the passion for service continues, and former soldiers like my stepdad continue to serve in any way they can. For me, this influences me to remember the service to our country and the need for this service to continue, especially in support of our veterans. It also drives my commitment to my own education, and I have no doubt this will contribute greatly to my success in college.

My stepdad, Paul, is an Army veteran. His story, and his service to our country will influence my success in college, because I will always be thinking of how hard he worked to achieve his educational and professional goals. For ten years, my stepdad served as an active-duty solider caring for the mental health needs of other soldiers. He put himself through school as an enlisted soldier, serving as a mental health technician. At the time, his MOS was 91x, which is now 61x. Because he was a full-time soldier, he took classes at night and then worked the overnight shift on an inpatient psychiatric ward with active-duty soldiers. It goes without saying, that he did not get much sleep during this period of his life. However, he persevered, and he first obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and then he went back to school to obtain a Master’s in Social Work. Now, my stepdad serves as a Rural Social Worker for the Veterans Administration traveling around rural Colorado to provide mental health care to rural veterans who may otherwise not receive such care. Although my stepdad is no longer on active-duty status, he continues to serve his country by caring for veterans, who are often desperately in need of mental health services. Through my stepdad serving in this capacity, I have learned the value of mental health treatment for everyone, especially our current and former servicemen and women. He often tells me stories about the mental health challenges soldiers face long after they have left the service. Through my stepdad, I have also learned the value of commitment to education even though it requires immense sacrifice. The example he has shown me through his hard work will drive my commitment to succeeding in my own educational journey in college. As the child of a military parent, I am reminded every day that a service member’s commitment to the citizens of the United States rarely stops when they leave active-duty service. Instead, the passion for service continues, and former soldiers like my stepdad continue to serve in any way they can. For me, this influences me to remember the service to our country and the need for this service to continue, especially in support of our veterans. It also drives my commitment to my own education, and I have no doubt this will contribute greatly to my success in college.

Dogs are my favorite animals because of their endless loyalty and unconditional love. Currently, I have three dogs, and two of my dogs have been saved by veterinarian medicine, which is why I plan to be a veterinarian. One day, my dad and I were in our yard with our dog, Switch. At the same time, a stranger was walking by with a Pitbull. Being her friendly self, Switch went to greet the dog, and the dog attacked. It was a terrifying situation. When my dog was attacked, I just wanted to help, and I am very grateful the veterinarian was able to save her life. This reminded me of the importance of veterinarians, and why being a veterinarian is the dream job for me. In August 2024, I will start college at Colorado State University, Pueblo majoring in Biology with an emphasis in Biomedical Sciences. My goal is to work with animals as a veterinarian. As a veterinarian, I plan to further advance science by researching different treatment methods. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. Another of my dogs was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. At the time, the closest veterinarian with antivenom was an hour away in Raton, New Mexico. It was a scary drive down our gravel mountain road to get to the lifesaving treatment needed for me dog, and it was frustrating that there was nothing we could do for him at home. My goal is to develop an antivenom that rural families like ours can administer at home. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college to be at the forefront of new treatment methods. My goal after college is to return to Huerfano County, Colorado to open a veterinary practice. Where I live, near Walsenburg, Colorado, we do not have a veterinarian, requiring families to drive nearly an hour to receive care for their animals. There is a need in our community for a veterinarian, and I hope to fill that need. Last year, I started shadowing at a veterinary clinic in Colorado Springs, Colorado. As part of my ongoing shadow experience, I have the opportunity to work alongside the veterinarians in the practice. My shadowing has helped me understand the day-to-day duties of a veterinarian, and it has made me see not only the critical work veterinarians do, but it reaffirms my passion for veterinary medicine and my future career. This scholarship would provide much needed financial assistance towards my goal of being a veterinarian, and I am very grateful for your time and consideration.

In March of 2020, I was thriving in the 8th grade, and participating in many extracurricular activities including Chess Club, Rocketry Club, and working on the Stage Crew for theater productions. I was looking forward to the upcoming 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony which is held every year at my school to honor the 8th graders who are moving up to high school. Because I had been at my small charter school since I was in kindergarten, I knew that the Moving Up Ceremony was a big deal. However, in March, the Covid pandemic dominated the world, and my life changed in a minute. Like most students, I completed the 2019/2020 school year at home on my laptop, leaving my extracurricular activities behind. However, when the 2020/2021 school year approached, my family had to make a decision on whether to send me back to school in person with my friends, or to keep me at home attending school online. Ultimately, my parents made the decision to keep me at home due to my asthma. I do not remember the day I was diagnosed with asthma. I was too young to remember. However, my parents have told me stories about my regular hospital admissions, and the scary drives that often preceded these admissions when they would awaken in the middle of the night to find me wheezing and struggling to take a breath. Although I do not remember these hospitalizations, I do know what it is like to live with asthma every day. Because of this, I understood when my parents made the decision in the Fall of 2020 to have me continue my education at home instead of returning to in person school for my Freshman year of high school. As my transcript shows, this clearly proved that although it was likely the best decision for my health, it was not a good decision from an academic perspective. I will be the first to admit that I struggle with remote learning. I thrive being in a classroom with an attentive teacher and committed students, and I always enjoyed my involvement in extracurricular activities. Attending school at home meant I lost all of these aspects of the in-person educational experience, and my grades struggled significantly as a result. By the end of my Freshman year, my previously excellent GPA was below a 2.0. For my Sophomore year, I returned to in person schooling, and I knew I would have to find a way to improve my academic performance. I have always wanted to be a veterinarian, and I knew that I needed to significantly improve my GPA to achieve that dream. As a result, I studied hard, worked with my teachers, and put as much effort as possible into improving my GPA. Now, in my last semester of high school my GPA has improved to a 3.0, and I am proud of this achievement. Having achieved better academic standing, my next goal is to attend Colorado State University to study Biomedical Sciences in order to eventually become a veterinarian. I was disappointed in myself with my poor GPA my Freshman year of high school. To me, it was a complete failure. Through hard work in my remaining years of high school, I was able to overcome my shortcomings, and I am now on my way to achieving my goals. Thank you for your consideration.

My passion for the outdoors and community service started when I was very young. Living in Colorado, outdoor recreation is a lifestyle that my family fully embraces. However, being a citizen of the outdoors comes with a responsibility to do my part to sustain our wild places for many future generations to enjoy. I accomplish this through ongoing community service efforts. In 2017, I began participating in an annual “Dirt Camp” through Rocky Mountain Field Institute. This involved a full week of trail restoration work in Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At the age of 11, this kind of manual labor was challenging and strenuous, especially in the hot Colorado sun. However, even then I saw the value in doing my part to protect our parks and trails. My work in sustainability and green initiatives continued when I began volunteering with Upadowna. Upadowna is a non-profit organization working to make the outdoors accessible to people of all abilities, no matter their financial situation or experience level. Through Upadowna, I have volunteered with fundraising efforts. All Upadowna programs are free, and we would not be able to offer free programs such as rock climbing, standup paddleboarding, and guide led hikes without a great deal of fundraising efforts. Additionally, I have worked with Upadowna on trail cleanup projects to make urban trails more accessible and user friendly to encourage people to be outdoors. Being a user of our parks and wilderness areas, I know that I have an obligation to protect these areas. My volunteer service is something to which I am committed through college and beyond. I hope someday I will pass down these same values to my family, the way my parents did for me. In August of 2024, I will start college at Colorado State University, Pueblo. I will be majoring in Biology with an emphasis in Biomedical Sciences. A goal of mine is to further advance science by studying and researching different treatment methods. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. My dog was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. Because we live so far from a veterinarian, there was no easy access to treatment. My goal is to develop an antivenom that rural families like ours can administer at home. Many rural families do not have easy access to veterinary care, and I believe more treatments could be developed for home use by these families. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college in order to be at the forefront of new treatment methods for household pets, and through this I hope to positively give back to my community through my career. Thank you for your consideration.

The scholarship prompt asks me to share my journey with my pet, but how can I pick just one? Currently, I have three dogs, two cats, and a fish. I have grown up with animals. My parents had them when I was born, so I have been surrounded by animals all my life. Of course, because I am 17 years old, I have also had to say goodbye to two elderly cats. But regardless, animals are the greatest joy in my life, and because of this, I plan to be a veterinarian. All my animals are rescues from various organizations or other situations where their owners could no longer care for them. I should clarify, though, that technically, the fish was rescued from one of our other pets. I had a frog I had raised from a tadpole, and I decided he might like to a fish to eat. However, when I got the fish home, I decided he was too cute to feed to a frog, so he became a pet. I have had that fish for five years now, and he has grown to over six inches long. Although I have always wanted to be a veterinarian, my passion for animal care was reaffirmed recently when two of my dogs were saved through veterinarian care. Last summer, one of my dogs was bitten by a rattlesnake outside our house. Our closest veterinarian is an hour away, and it was a very scary drive down a gravel, mountain road to get to the antivenom needed to save his life. I am grateful that the veterinarian knew he was coming and was ready with antivenom and other treatments to treat him quickly and effectively. He had to spend one night in the animal hospital, but he has now fully recovered due to veterinarian care. Another of my dogs was attacked by a Pitbull in our front yard. Being her usual friendly self, my dog went to greet the dog, and the dog attacked. It was truly terrifying. When my dog was attacked, I just wanted to help, and I was scared the veterinarian would be closed. I am very grateful the veterinarian was open and able to save her life. These incidents with my dogs re-motivated my desire to pursue veterinary medicine. My dream job is to return to the rural area where I currently live after college to provide much needed veterinary care to my community. As previously mentioned, our closest veterinarian is an hour drive away, and in the case of an emergency, it not only presents a challenge considering the amount of time it takes to obtain veterinarian care, but it is also very expensive to obtain care. Where I live, Huerfano County, Colorado, is low income, and many families cannot afford to drive an hour to obtain expensive medical care for their pets. My goal after completing Veterinary School, and my dream job, is to return to my community to provide local, affordable care for rural families. In August of 2024, I will begin college at Colorado State University, Pueblo where I will major in Biomedical Sciences. Although some of my pets will remain with my parents on our property near Walsenburg, Colorado, two of my dogs will be in Pueblo with me while I atttend school. I know having them there will be a huge support as I begin my college career, and I appreciate you considering me for your scholarship.

A few years ago, the members of my Teen Hiking Group were asked “What is Your Favorite Camping Food?” My response: Pasta Carbonara. Which I have, in fact, cooked in the woods over nothing but an open campfire. Cooking has been a passion of mine since I was very young, and it is a great way for me to express my creativity. When I was in elementary school, I started attending a summer Cooking Camp for kids where I learned basic culinary skills, and my passion continued to grow. My major in college will be Biomedical Sciences, and my goal is to someday be a veterinarian. However, many people do not realize that cooking is a science, and it is one where individuals like me can explore a unique side of creativity while still enjoying the fascinating aspects of science at the same time. During the Covid pandemic, my family started taking live, online cooking classes with chefs all over the world. We learned to cook with chefs in India, Brazil, France, Indonesia, and many other countries. I love to cook for my family and friends, and I love to learn about new cultures through my cooking. Food brings people together, helps us celebrate culture and special events, and helps us maintain good health. Through the creativity I express when I cook for my family and friends, I am making the world a better place and spreading joy to those for whom I cook. If I had an extra 24 hours in my day, I would cook a huge meal for my family and friends. I would probably make pasta carbonara with homemade pasta noodles and a loaf of sourdough bread made from the sour dough starter kept in my refrigerator. For dessert, I would truly express my creativity by making a fun cake or cookies that would put a smile on the face of everyone at the table. Although I enjoy my studies related to science, it is in the kitchen where I feel I can truly be at my most creative. I love the moments where cooking and science come together to create delicious, creative meals for everyone to enjoy. I enjoy experimenting with new flavor combinations, interesting spices, and creative new techniques. Taking cooking classes for various international cuisines has opened my eyes to the endless possibilities for showcasing ingredients and exploring new cultures through cooking. Come for dinner and give my cooking a try, you will not be disappointed!

One day, my dad and I were in our yard with our dog, Switch. Switch is a friendly dog who believes everyone is her friend. At that moment, a stranger walked by with a Pitbull. Being her usual friendly self, Switch went to greet the dog, and the dog attacked. It was truly terrifying. When my dog was attacked, I just wanted to help, and I was scared the veterinarian would be closed. I am very grateful the veterinarian was open and able to save her life. This re-motivated my desire to pursue veterinary medicine. As a veterinarian, I hope to positively impact the world by contributing to the health and wellbeing of animals. Currently, I live in a remote area of Colorado. Our closest veterinarian is an hour drive away, and in the case of an emergency, it not only presents a challenge considering the amount of time it takes to obtain veterinarian care, but it is also very expensive to obtain care. Where I live, Huerfano County, Colorado, is low income, and many families cannot afford to drive an hour to obtain expensive medical care for their pets. My goal after completing Veterinary School is to return to my community to provide local, affordable care for rural families. Huerfano County is the second poorest county in Colorado, with a Median per capita income of only $23,139 according to a Census American Community Survey. Many of these families cannot afford to obtain medical care for themselves, much less their family pets. I hope to ease the financial burden of these families by returning to my home community and establishing an affordable veterinary clinic to serve families like mine. Additionally, my research goal while I am in college and beyond is to work on research to administer more at home veterinary treatments for rural families. In August of 2024, I will start college at Colorado State University, Pueblo. I will be majoring in Biology with an emphasis in Biomedical Sciences. A goal of mine is to further advance science by studying and researching different treatment methods. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. Another of my dogs was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. Because we live so far from a veterinarian, there was no easy access to treatment. My goal is to develop an antivenom that rural families like ours can administer at home. Many rural families do not have easy access to veterinary care, and I believe more treatments could be developed for home use by these families. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college in order to be at the forefront of new treatment methods for household pets, and through this I hope to positively impact my community through my STEM career. Because of my academic achievements and career goals, I believe I am an excellent candidate for the Jiang Amel STEM Scholarship. I sincerely appreciate your time and consideration.

On a warm Colorado winter day, my dad and I were out in our yard with our dog, Switch. Switch is a friendly, social, dog who believes everyone is her friend. At the same time, a stranger was walking by with a large Pitbull on a leash. Being her usual friendly self, Switch went to greet the dog at the sidewalk, and the other dog attacked. It was a scary situation, and this event reaffirmed my desire to be a veterinarian. At the moment my dog was attacked, I just wanted to help her, and I was scared the veterinarian would not be open because it was late at night. I am very grateful the veterinarian was open and able to save her life, and this reminded me of the importance of veterinarians and my goal of becoming a veterinarian. In August of 2024, I will start college at Colorado State University, Pueblo. I will be majoring in Biology with an emphasis in Biomedical Sciences. My career goal is to work with animals as a veterinarian. As a veterinarian, I plan to further advance science by studying and researching different treatment methods, which I find exciting. Specifically, I hope to study the impacts and treatments for rattlesnake bites on dogs. Another of my dogs was bitten by a rattlesnake two years ago. We live an hour from the closest veterinarian, and there was no easy access to treatment. My goal is to develop an antivenom that rural families like ours can administer at home. Many rural families do not have easy access to veterinary care, and I believe more treatments could be developed for home use by these families. Additionally, many times, families living in rural areas like ours do not have the financial means to provide extensive veterinary care for animals. Through at home treatment methods, costs of veterinary care can be significantly reduced, allowing for potentially life saving treatments to be administered at home, saving the lives of countless animals. I am excited about the opportunity to learn and conduct research in college in order to be at the forefront of new treatment methods for household pets. My passion and excitement for animals has led to my desire to pursue a degree where I will be able to work with animals every day. I believe my goals and academic achievements make me an excellent candidate for this scholarship, and I appreciate your consideration.