In 2012, five Illinois veterinary students established a chapter of VOICE, a national organization that started in 2007. VOICE was created as “a student-run organization that seeks to increase awareness, respect, and sensitivity to differences among all individuals and communities in the field of veterinary medicine.”
Today, the Illinois chapter has a membership of around 50. It even hosted the VOICE national conference in Urbana this year.
Samantha Johnson serves as president of the Illinois VOICE chapter and vice president of the national organization. She offered the University of Illinois as this year’s conference host when she attended the 2024 national conference in Denver.
“VOICE started out surrounding anyone from an under-resourced, underrepresented background in one way or another,” Johnson said. “It has grown so much in its impact, not just here but nationally as well.”
According to Johnson, the Illinois VOICE chapter has served as one of the “pivot points” supporting the establishment of chapters of other cultural affinity groups at the College of Veterinary Medicine, including the Association of Asian Veterinary Medical Professionals and Latinx Veterinary Medical Association.
2025 VOICE National Conference
This focus on representation and inclusivity was at the heart of the national conference, which was planned by the Illinois chapter with input from Dr. Yvette Johnson-Walker, the chapter’s faculty advisor and the college’s coordinator of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
The overall theme for the 2025 conference was addressing physical and invisible disabilities in veterinary medicine in the classroom and clinic.
“Our misunderstanding of a person’s disability is something that needs to be addressed so we can do better as clinicians and researchers,” Johnson said. “That’s what this conference is about — building that leadership. Just being the best clinicians we can, the best students we can and the best team we can. Veterinary medicine is all about being a team.”
The schedule for the three-day event included several guest speakers, such as Dr. Laura Garrett, clinical professor of oncology, who led an improv communication workshop. Nearly 40 people participated, half of whom attended virtually.
The conference wrapped up with a “pet pantry” outreach event that distributed nonperishable food donations from the community and companies to more than 30 families — and over 50 companion animals — in Champaign County. Seeing that the event met a need, VOICE has begun collaborating with other campus groups to standardize the event.
The conference gained sponsorship from Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, Chewy and Zoetis, which has been a sponsor and donated the largest amount consecutively for the last three or four years, according to Johnson.
Illinois VOICE Chapter on Local Issues
“We want to bring more positive attention to certain issues that we recognize here at our own veterinary hospital but also things that other people are struggling with at a national level,” Johnson said. “I think our chapter is really passionate about (creating an inclusive environment); we just have a lot of passion, and we want to deliver it.”
A local issue the VOICE chapter encountered was that legal forms, especially in veterinary medicine, were only offered in English, making them inaccessible to people who speak other languages, Johnson said. When a student raised the issue, the Veterinary Teaching Hospital translated the medical forms into various languages.
As chapter president, Johnson is spearheading efforts to establish all-gender locker rooms for students who identify as non-binary, build awareness surrounding the need for schedule accommodation for caretakers on clinical rotation and reduce the challenges students face when requiring accommodations in an educational setting.
“These items are just a few areas we know the institution may be willing to work towards and assist with as there are others untouched or brought forth to the VOICE executive board’s attention,” Johnson said.
As the chapter moves forward, its commitment to advocating for diversity and inclusivity remains at the forefront of its mission. According to Dr. Johnson-Walker, the group accommodates people of all backgrounds, emphasizing the clinical experience for everybody.
“The fact that we create an environment where people are comfortable saying, ‘Here’s what I need to be the best I can be; can you support me in that?’ — this helps everyone,” Dr. Johnson-Walker said. “At some point in time, everybody is going to need support of some kind.”
