After high school, Kristine Witte wanted to continue her education but wasn’t sure what field was right for her. So, she decided to attend cosmetology school.
While working as a professional hairstylist, she began volunteering at a local animal shelter. That’s where she realized that she loves caring for animals, prompting a decision to switch career paths.
Learning Along the Way
“It was daunting starting over, but I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Witte said, “and my cosmetology license is still going strong after 14 years!”
Witte is now able to braid human and horse hair, she joked.
As a second-career student, Witte entered veterinary school with very little clinical experience. What she did bring, however, made all the difference: determination, compassion and gratitude for others, and a great sense of humor. Her clinical and basic medical knowledge burgeoned during her time at Illinois.
She tells the story of the day in her first-year anatomy class when she “excitedly” told her group they were working with a goat—only to be told it was actually a small horse.
Witte is grateful for the teachers, students, and doctors she has been able to learn from along the way. “My peers have helped me gain so many new skills, and I know I’ll lean on them far into our futures,” she said.
Through her clinical rotations, Witte discovered which areas of veterinary medicine interest her. While she doesn’t yet know where this career will take her, she is excited to begin as a general practitioner and “see a little bit of everything,” she said.
‘Everyone Belongs’
Despite lagging behind classmates in clinical experiences, Witte threw herself into multiple extracurriculars in her first year. She has served on the boards of the Human-Animal Bond Association and the Illinois chapter of Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment (VOICE).
Witte wanted to raise awareness about “discrepancies in the diversity of this profession” and has been active in multiple cultural and DEI-focused organizations, she said.
“As a person with invisible disabilities, I have a passion to show others that everyone belongs in veterinary medicine and that who we are and what makes us different should never be a barrier,” Witte said.
Looking ahead, Witte hopes to combine small animal general practice with outreach in shelter medicine. She is grateful to have been a part of this institution and have this opportunity, she said.
“It’s been the most challenging four years of my life, and I’ve definitely stumbled through most of it,” Witte continued, “I’m still working to improve my clinical skills and will forever continue learning, but I’m thrilled that I’ve made it this far and I’ll soon be stumbling across the stage at our graduation ceremony!”
By Megan Krok
