My path to veterinary medicine started with my childhood dog, Lilly. When I was six years old, I had to say goodbye to my best friend who I’d known my entire life. I still remember the day clearly. It was overcast and windy, a day you could feel the sorrow in the air. I remember my parents telling us to come say goodbye. We walked into the clinic, where my yellow lab lay on a table with her eyes open, but no life behind them. My grandma brushed her hand down my dog’s face, closing her eyes gently. There was no more wagging of her tail when someone walked in the room, no more tongue hanging out in a wide smile. It was a day full of heartbreak I’d never imagined, and yet it’s also the day that sparked a hope, to save animals, deep inside me. Many animal owners don’t have the knowledge to see early signs of illness. Lilly had cancerous chondrosarcomas, cartilaginous tumors, in her throat, and we had no idea until it was too late. However, if we had looked down her throat, we would’ve been able to catch the cancer soon enough to save her. This is why I want to be a veterinarian. I strive to educate owners on preventative measures, how to see the signs before it’s too late. I want to teach people how to do their own health assessments at home. There are many times when an illness isn’t caught soon enough because everyday people don’t know what they're looking for. I want to help the animals that can’t tell us when something is wrong. Additionally, I aspire to make veterinary care more accessible. When I was searching for an exotic veterinarian in the small town I currently live in, there weren’t any nearby that were knowledgeable in rabbits. I have to drive 45 minutes or more away to get care for my bunny, Rusty. Furthermore, my extended family, who owns a farm, has to drive about an hour to get care for their animals, or have a vet come to them. This sparked a desire to bring veterinary care to rural areas. Many owners don’t have the time, or funds, for these long trips, which can cause animal’s wellbeing to go uncared for. I would love to start a practice in a small town to help relieve this issue and help more animals in need. Everyday I work toward reaching these goals. I’ve shadowed at small, large, and exotic animal clinics, actively diligent to learn as much as I can. I tell anyone who will listen about the little nuances to caring for an animal. I lead by example, by showing people how pets should be living. I love spoiling my rabbit, giving him the run of my entire apartment. The creatures we share our lives with are so incredible, and I long to make their time with us, and in our beautiful world, the happiest and healthiest I can.

Brown streaks of hair crossed my blurry vision as the wind blew around me. My body shook as I sat out front of a veterinary clinic with my aunt, tears streaming down my cheeks. Was I shaking from the cold or my crying? It didn't matter anyway. Inside the clinic, my parents were euthanizing my childhood dog, Lilly. She had been around before I was even born, and I didn't know a life without her. My dog had cancerous chondrosarcomas, cartilaginous tumors, in her throat, and we had no idea until it was too late. After being put down, my parents came out with tears in their eyes. "It's time to say goodbye," my mom croaked out before taking my hand. Then we walked into the examination room, my sweet yellow puppy laying on a table. But there was no wagging of her tail as I walked over, no tongue hanging out in a happy smile, and no rising and falling of her chest. She was gone forever. I had always loved animals, but this heart-wrenching moment sparked something bigger. Shortly after saying goodbye to my best friend, I decided I wanted to help sick animals like her. At first, I wasn't sure how to do this as I was only six at the time. However, I quickly found out how much veterinarians truly did for animals. I vowed to try my best to reach my goal so I could help treat and cure them. Furthermore, animals aren't able to tell us verbally when they have a problem. My childhood dog, for example, couldn’t tell my family that her throat was bugging her. It wasn’t until she couldn’t stand it anymore that she started acting sick. However, like previously stated, by then it was too late. I yearn to be this voice. Moreover, I long to be in a position where I can educate animal lovers and owners of subtle animal behaviors that could be signs. Many people who own animals only know basic body language and therefore aren’t able to see early signs of illness. I want to be able to teach people what signs they should be looking for, and how to do their own health assessments at home. If we had been looking into Lily’s mouth and throat regularly, we could have caught the cancer early enough to stop it. My passion to help animals, although always there, was pushed further because of my brave childhood dog. She is the reason I aspire to be a veterinarian.

High school students tend to have a difficult time choosing what to pursue in college. However, I’ve known what path I want to take since I was ten years old. I want to become a large animal veterinarian. Animals have always fascinated me with their unique adaptations. Mutations allowed them to evolve these characteristics to better survive in their environment. Humans have directly affected these changes since they first evolved. Pets are a great example of this. It is my dream to work with animals to ensure they receive the care they need in order to thrive. Plans for the Future: Every kid begins to think about their future from the moment they are able to think. They make a plan that usually ends up changing a million times. This was no different for me until I got to fourth grade. I have been working toward the goal from then on. At this point of my journey, I am looking for large animal veterinarians to shadow in order to gain experience. More importantly, I’m looking for schools that will help me get closer to my goal. I plan on going to a school in my home state for Pre-Veterinary or Animal Science. I can’t wait to begin studying animals more in-depth than I ever have before. After finishing my undergraduate degree, I plan on applying to vet school in order to get my DVM. Following school, I want to do some internships, and then finally work as a veterinarian. The biggest way this money would help me achieve my goals is by helping college be more affordable for me. College, especially for veterinarians, is extremely expensive. To keep school less stressful, I’d prefer to not have to work part-time while studying. Every little bit of help counts to help students achieve. Not having to worry about working will allow me to have more time to navigate through college. As someone who is a first-generation college student, I’ve had a difficult time figuring out how and when to apply for things, like scholarships. I’m sure this will ring true for the college experience as well. Students are alone without their families for the first time in their lives. They have to learn how to be truly independent for the first time. This scholarship will assist me in chasing my goal of being a large animal veterinarian. I have been moving toward this goal for as long as I can remember and can’t wait until I succeed.

I want to help animals get the help they need by becoming a large animal veterinarian!

I've never been one for impulsive decisions, despite that, I randomly decided to join rugby. I was nervous at first because I knew nothing about the sport and only knew one person there. However, everyone was so welcoming, kind, and patient. It put me at ease. I’ve had social anxiety for years, so being relaxed around strangers was unbelievable. I wasn’t afraid to make mistakes or speak up. These practices became the highlight of my week, and I always looked forward to playing with my teammates. We built the team from the ground up and had fun along the way. When practices first started, there were very few girls showing up. We had 8-10 come to the first few, but many decided rugby wasn’t for them. This wasn’t a worry for us at the time since it was fall. Most people showing up to fall/winter practices were complete beginners, like myself. We worked hard to get the basic rules, passing, and tackling down before moving onto gameplay. As spring came nearer, it became apparent that we needed to do more recruiting. I asked all my female friends to at least try one practice, however all of them declined. Then I began to ask people in my classes, regardless of if I knew them or not. Unfortunately I didn’t have any luck, but my teammates did. We ended up getting many players from other high schools. I’m glad they said yes. I probably wouldn’t have met many of my now friends/sisters. Almost every practice would start with introductions, there was always someone new. As the team grew bigger, we started to do team bonding nights. These were great for learning more about each other and talking to people you usually don’t. Laughter is truly a great bonding tool. Most of the time we’d do talent shows, all competing to win. We’d get assigned groups and given 15 minutes to create a performance. With only 15 minutes, it was difficult to put something together. However, we always created a show. Some were cool, some were creative, but no matter what, it was always fun! The bonding activities helped bring us together as a team. We built a trust that helped us prevail on the field. I knew I could trust my team to have my back when I was out there. This team truly means the world to me. Every game, win or lose, was a fun battle that pulled us closer as a family. I have grown so much as a person and an athlete because of them. I can’t wait to play with them for another season, and I will be extremely sad when it’s time for me to say goodbye. I cried saying goodbye to the seniors, so I know I’ll cry when I have to leave my sisters to go to college. I’ve played team sports for many years, however rugby was different. We ended the season not just as an accomplished team, but as a family.