University of Illinois Awards and Scholarships Lunch

Thank you so much for having me here today. It truly is an honor to come back and be with all of you. As Christine said, my name is Kathryn Golden and I am a 2013 graduate.

Some of you in this room may remember my class as the first class that went through the “new” curriculum. We started our veterinary school learning on clinics, had cumulative examinations, and benefited from the clinical skills lab. The new curriculum was truly revolutionary and changed the scope of learning for veterinary students forever.

Tangential benefits of this new curriculum that are less measurable on paper, but arguably equally important, were in the relationships that formed between classmates, upper classmen, and even residents and faculty. The veterinary world is so small, and by forging relationships early in our careers we, and classes thereafter, have benefited from an amazing network of colleagues.

This connection was one of the biggest gifts that I was given as a result of my coursework at Illinois. Understanding and having a sense of being part of something much bigger than just myself is what laid the foundation for my career and why I am here today, an equine practice owner, and proud scholarship donor.

My path to veterinary school didn’t start until I was a freshman in college at William Woods University, a small liberal arts school in Fulton, Missouri. I was drawn to William Woods because of my love of horses. They offered a four-year degree in both Equestrian Science and Equestrian Administration.

During my early coursework I took an Equine Health and First Aid class that completely captivated me. Very shortly thereafter, I switched to a degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry in preparation for application to veterinary school.

Even though my passion has always been firmly rooted in horses, once in veterinary school I found myself confused about pursuing a career in equine medicine. Was making my passion my career a good choice? Or would I resent working on horses and potentially not see enough of my own?

This is the crux of the problem that so many veterinary students face. We have all this fervent desire to help animals, but how do we find a balance between being a veterinarian and becoming consumed by our careers?

The veterinary community at large is in crisis between the influx of family pets during COVID, the number of retiring veterinarians, declining mental health, and the huge financial burden associated with schooling. The equine veterinary industry has been particularly hard hit. In 2023, roughly fifty—FIVE ZERO—equine veterinarians graduated and entered the field.

Even more staggering is that less than 50% of this small number of graduating equine vets remain in equine practice after 5 years. There are so many reasons for these alarming numbers, but one of the main reasons is the economic stress associated with being a veterinarian.

When my business partner, Laurel, and I were laying the framework for our practice, we spoke in depth about our core values. One thing we both felt passionately about was showing veterinary students that there is a realistic way to make a living and have a well-rounded and fulfilling life as an equine veterinarian.

This led us to starting the Northern Lakes Equine Practice Scholarship for equine veterinary students here at Illinois, but also at Iowa State, Laurel’s alma mater, and soon to be at University of Wisconsin-Madison, where our associate graduated. The goal of our scholarship is not only to provide financial support to equine veterinary students but also to raise awareness that there is a sustainable way to have a fulfilling career in equine veterinary medicine.

In addition to our financial support, we visit each of our alma maters on an annual basis to talk to the student AAEP chapters about equine private practice. Connecting with students is one of the single best things that I have found injects excitement back into my day to day and helps prevent my own feelings of burnout.

As much as these interactions are about helping equine-passionate students enter and remain in equine medicine, they also help ground me. I will never forget the factors that changed the trajectory of my career. Firstly Dr. Foreman, who was my assigned mentor for professional development, bluntly if not so eloquently said to me, “Kathryn, it is obvious you want to be an

equine veterinarian. Get out of your own way and go do it.” He was able to have this insight because of the relationship we formed during my early years in veterinary school as a direct result of the integrative curriculum.

And secondly, a wonderful program that has recently returned called Opportunities in Equine Practice (OEPS), which is an immersive experience for third-year equine students in Kentucky that is fully funded by donors and comes at no cost to the veterinary students attending.

When I take a step back and look at the veterinary industry, there is one word that summarizes what it means to me: Community. To be a veterinarian is to be a part of a community. It is so important that we, as members, offer support both financially and emotionally.

I am forever grateful to the scholarships I received during my education, and I am honored to be able to give back now that I am on the other side. My career wouldn’t be what it is without the incredible support and mentorship I received along the way, and I am just one story. We each have our own.

I encourage donors who are here today to look around at these incredible students—who are the future of animal health—and reflect on your own journeys to where you are today. Who got you here? How would your path have been different had you had additional resources? And most importantly, what can you be doing now to further support the students who are the future of our industry.

The more we champion each other, the more our patients will benefit from educated, excited, and content veterinarians. We all abide by our oath take at graduation “to do no harm.” My hope is that we are able to extend that promise to ourselves as well, by learning how to thrive in the lifestyle that is being a veterinarian.