I am honored to be one of the recipients of a TE scholarship. Thanks to your generous support, I will be able to lessen the financial burden of my student loan debt as well as fund more extracurricular learning opportunities. Learning beyond the classroom such as at conferences and externships is essential to preparing for a career in veterinary medicine. These opportunities allow students to focus on specialized areas of interest, practice basic clinical skills and gain exposure to various forms of veterinary medicine. I plan to use this scholarship to decrease my loan burden and to travel to Nebraska to attend the annual conference of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, for example. At this conference I will have the opportunity to learn about detailed topics in both beef and dairy medicine that are not covered in core veterinary curriculum.

Once again, thank you so much for helping me grasp these opportunities through your kindness and generosity.

Hometown: Columbus, OH

School: Ohio State University

Major / Species: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Career Goals: As a future veterinarian, I aim to give back to the agricultural community by being an essential member on a team of people that are dedicated to providing healthy wholesome food. I want to help the farmer make a living through the health and welfare of the animals, which will ultimately result in giving back to the community as a whole. I aspire to be more than veterinarian but also a partner involved in both the business and the life style of agriculture, especially in bovine and small ruminant farming systems. Ideally, I would like to work at a mixed large animal practice which includes predominantly dairy as well as other farm animals such as small ruminants since I also have a special interest in sheep. Within dairy practice, my primary interests are reproductive services and herd management. As a dairy veterinarian, I initially strive to immerse myself in the industry and continue my education as a new veterinarian about production medicine. Further along in my career, I also hope to gain the experience to provide consultation services. Finally, I plan to continue my involvement in veterinary organizations such as the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and the American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners.