Criteria: As part of recruitment package to Illinois for student’s with financial need interested in pursuing small animal care.
Cassondra Wood
Cassondra is a first-year student from Maine. She is highly interested in emergency medicine with the possibility of continuing her education further by continuing into internship and residency after obtaining her DVM. She is also highly interested in theriogenology and neonatology with some research she would like to continue throughout her years at Illinois.
Paige Walton
Paige, a first-year student from Almont, Michigan, is interested in small animal medicine with a focus in feline care and surgery. She hopes to become a veterinarian who helps not only her patients, but her community as well.
Isabella Surma
Isabella is a first-year student from Buffalo, New York. She is interested in small animal emergency medicine and surgery. She is hoping to find a position in Illinois as a small animal emergency veterinarian and eventually specialize in critical care.
Gabi Modica
Gabi is a first-year student form Naperville, Illinois. She is interested in small animal general practice and hopes to work with shelter animals in her free time or as a career. She has been volunteering with ARF, a Chicago-area nonprofit, for the past 10 years and plans to continue to do so.
Natalie Lopez
Natalie is a first-year student from Arlington Heights, Illinois. She is interested small animal general practice and research and hopes to find a career where she can do both. She is planning to participate in a summer research program and complete a summer externship at Arbor View Animal Hospital in Valparaiso, Indiana, to assist in small animal surgeries.
Tessa-Anne Katcher
Tessa is a first-year student from Youngstown, Ohio. She is interested in small animal emergency medicine and critical care. After obtaining her veterinary degree, she hopes to pursue a rotating internship and a residency.
Giselle Ibarra
Giselle, a first-year student from Carpentersville, Illinois, earned a bachelor's degree in animal sciences from the University of Illinois. Her experience working in general practice clinics created her interest in small animal general practice, but she has developed an interest in emergency medicine since starting veterinary school.
Elizabeth Hellmann
Elizabeth, a first-year veterinary student from Lakeside Park, Kentucky, has a strong interest in mixed practice, particularly companion exotics, cats, dogs, and emergency medicine. She is committed to becoming an exceptional veterinarian and leader and making a positive impact in both companion and wildlife care throughout her career.
Chloe Hankey
Chloe is a first-year student from Ford City, Pennsylvania. She is interested in mixed animal medicine.
Karisa Graham
Karisa is a first-year student interested in small animal and zoo companion medicine. She was born and raised in Japan, but matriculated at the University of New Hampshire for her undergraduate studies. She wants to utilize her bilingualism and multicultural background to help serve a diverse community in the United States.
Autumn Ganzel
Autumn, a first-year student from Linneus, Maine, is interested in small animal medicine. She is excited to spend the next few years exploring the diverse career opportunities within the veterinary field. Autumn plans to return to Maine, where she hopes to alleviate barriers to animal care for underserved communities. With her strong Maine roots, she would also love to find ways to support wildlife care in the future.
Virginia Florianowicz
Virginia is a first-year student from Mount Prospect, Illinois. She is interested in oncology and emergency medicine and hopes to purse a residency in one of those fields after graduating.
Kim Detwiler
Kim is a first-year student from Bloomington, Illinois. She is interested in small animal general practice and hopes to open her own practice one day.
Victoria Bulson
Victoria is a first-year student from Oswego, New York, and first-generation college student. Her passion lies in small animal medicine. She is interested in pursuing an internship and residency after graduation, specializing in neurology or small animal surgery.
Angelina Berg
Angelina is a first-year student from Palmer, Alaska. She volunteered with a zoo as an undergraduate and has continued that interest by volunteering in the Wildlife Medical Clinic. Her current plan is a mixed practice career while also providing care to exotic pets.
Madison Arter
Madison is a first-year student from Charlotte, North Carolina. She is passionate about dentistry and mixed animal general practice. This summer she will participate in two externships, one in each of her areas of interest.