The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine has a longstanding partnership with the Anti-Cruelty Society to introduce high school students to careers in veterinary medicine. The Veterinary Mentoring Program, once targeted only to Chicago-area students, is now expanding its reach.
Bringing Veterinary Education to the Windy City
For over 20 years, the university has collaborated with the Anti-Cruelty Society, a comprehensive animal welfare organization, to bring veterinary education to 10th, 11th, and 12th graders in Chicago. The program has shifted to a virtual format and now consists of an online, two-hour seminar one Saturday a month from September to April.
The switch to an online platform, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic, makes it easier for Illinois faculty to stay involved and allows out-of-state students to participate.
“It became a lot easier, since most of the faculty that present in the sessions are down here in Champaign-Urbana,” explained Dr. Sara Connolly, assistant dean for admissions and student success in the college’s Office of Academic and Student Affairs. Other Illinois veterinary faculty members who help teach the program are located in the Chicago area, at the Brookfield Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, and Medical District Veterinary Clinic.
The program offers eight sessions each year, which typically consist of topics including:
- General overview of veterinary medicine
- Small animal practice
- Large animal practice
- Farm animal practice
- One Health
- Zoo medicine
- Aquatic medicine
- Shelter medicine
- Non-traditional career paths
The sessions aim to give high school students a better understanding of what a career in veterinary medicine looks like, as well as an overview of different areas they could go into.
“Some of the faculty that have been presenting in this program for a while have had encounters with veterinary students that have said, ‘Hey, I remember when you presented to the vet mentoring program,’” noted Dr. Connolly. “So I know that there have been students who come into the veterinary school from the program.”
With a long history of introducing the field to the next generation of veterinary professionals, the college is now setting its sights on expanding the program’s reach.
Widening the reach, from Chicago to the FFA
This year, Dr. Connolly attended the Future Farmers of America national convention to attract high school students from out of state.
“The goal was to reach students that may be interested in large animal practice or practicing in a rural area,” explained Dr. Connolly. “[And] also to reach students to let them know about veterinary medicine as a career. Some of them hopefully are aware of [veterinary medicine] but may not have really thought about how to get there.”
It is free for students to apply to the Veterinary Mentoring Program. Interested 10th through 12th graders can begin applying for the 2025-2026 school year in March. The application deadline is June 13, 2025.
Out-of-state students are encouraged to apply. Dr. Connolly explained the only difference for out-of-state students is the potential inability to take the sponsored bus from Chicago to the college’s Open House.
“With this program, even if students were hesitant, I strongly recommend that they check it out,” stated Dr. Connolly. “It will give them more information to make a decision, and then when they enter undergrad, if they have already kind of made a decision, it may make their studies have a clearer path when choosing coursework and extracurricular activities, things like that.”
Advising the Next Generation of Veterinary Professionals
Outside of serving as the college’s contact for the Veterinary Mentoring Program, Dr. Connolly is also behind many other efforts to educate future students on the opportunities available at Illinois.
“My goal is to go every other year to the public universities in Illinois to let them know who we are, answer questions that students have, let them know what makes our program different from other veterinary schools,” Dr. Connolly said. “I’ll also talk to other pre-veterinary clubs from all over the country [and] do Zoom presentations to them as well as answer their questions.”
Dr. Connolly also shared two important pieces of advice for high school students considering the Veterinary Mentoring Program or a career in veterinary medicine:
- Focus on your classes
- Spend any time you can with a veterinarian in action
“It’s very different being the veterinarian, taking care of the animals, than being the pet owner. Being able to see what is done in the clinic every day [and] what veterinarians are really dealing with, I think, is helpful,” explained Dr. Connolly. “It doesn’t have to be a lot of time, but I do think it’s really important.”
Prospective veterinary students benefit from getting an idea of what the profession could look like for them to make the best decision for their future. The Veterinary Mentoring Program helps high school students, now from across the country, understand the basics of the field and prepare them for the next steps in their education.
By Haley Maser
