It started by simply having a dog since birth, but over time developed into something much more. My sister embarked on her collegiate journey when I was six years old. I had a love for animals, but her major in marine biology, which I was convinced was a veterinarian for marine animals, influenced that even more before she graduated. As a ten-year-old, I had no clue what a career was, but I knew what I loved to be around. I would always look for books about careers with animals. I studied them for years until I finally decided that I wanted to be a vet before high school. When I started high school, I joined the FFA knowing that my senior year would have a veterinary science class; little did I know that I would fall in love with
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This one event changed my life forever. One thing about me that the situation did not change was the fact that I wanted to make a difference. The unfortunate part was that I did not even know where to start. I contemplated changing my major to go into human oncology, but my passion for animals was too strong to leave my major. At that time, I decided to stick with exotic animals and try for an internship with the Walt Disney Company. My position, though not working with animals, was at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and I knew that I was on the right path. I would talk with veterinarians to learn more about their jobs and others who were familiar with their work. I was interested in their everyday work and always wanted to know more. After returning to Mississippi State University in 2015, I was conflicted once again, but this time it was between veterinary oncology and exotic medicine. I shadowed the oncology department at Mississippi State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and even though I was occasionally confused, I was enthralled by everything they were doing. At the time, I had decided to pursue oncology and research, but I was conflicted about giving up my passion for exotics. It was not until my trip to Uganda in the summer of 2016 that I had started to figure out what I wanted to do. Our group met with a veterinarian at Queen Elizabeth National Park and I asked him about exotics and cancer. He said it was out there, but not popular yet. He encouraged me to do some research when I returned home, so I did. The results I received were encouraging and will allow me to fulfill my passions in every
This one event changed my life forever. One thing about me that the situation did not change was the fact that I wanted to make a difference. The unfortunate part was that I did not even know where to start. I contemplated changing my major to go into human oncology, but my passion for animals was too strong to leave my major. At that time, I decided to stick with exotic animals and try for an internship with the Walt Disney Company. My position, though not working with animals, was at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and I knew that I was on the right path. I would talk with veterinarians to learn more about their jobs and others who were familiar with their work. I was interested in their everyday work and always wanted to know more. After returning to Mississippi State University in 2015, I was conflicted once again, but this time it was between veterinary oncology and exotic medicine. I shadowed the oncology department at Mississippi State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and even though I was occasionally confused, I was enthralled by everything they were doing. At the time, I had decided to pursue oncology and research, but I was conflicted about giving up my passion for exotics. It was not until my trip to Uganda in the summer of 2016 that I had started to figure out what I wanted to do. Our group met with a veterinarian at Queen Elizabeth National Park and I asked him about exotics and cancer. He said it was out there, but not popular yet. He encouraged me to do some research when I returned home, so I did. The results I received were encouraging and will allow me to fulfill my passions in every