Alumni News

As a child, Hassan Hanna frequently visited Brookfield Zoo and Lincoln Park Zoo. When his mom witnessed the excitement that beamed through him as he raced from exhibit to exhibit, she knew then, according to…
Read More >

“As a young child, I followed heavily in the footsteps of my older sister,” recalled OC Kirkland. “When she said she wanted to be a dolphin trainer, I, of course, also said I wanted to…
Read More >

After completing his undergraduate degree as a pre-med student, Varun Seth put his studies on pause. He was passionate about environmental sustainability, conservation, and biodiversity. His family hoped he would enter medical school. To evaluate…
Read More >

A Passion Born in a Saddle When she was 6 years old, Gina Kowalewicz rode a horse for the first time. Her family owned horses, and as Kowalewicz grew up, the horses grew alongside her….
Read More >

Theodore Berlanga worked at an emergency clinic for four years before entering veterinary school. They had been interested in veterinary medicine since middle school and felt drawn to emergency medicine with its environment ripe for…
Read More >

Many future veterinarians embrace their calling at a young age, and Melanie Narvaez was definitely one of them. However, it wasn’t until she worked at a veterinary clinic as an undergraduate that she knew she…
Read More >

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…
Read More >

It Runs in the Family Hannah Streams grew up on a small hobby farm in New Mexico surrounded by animals. Propped on a hill, Streams would watch as her dad pulled up the driveway. She…
Read More >

From the Classroom to the Aquarium As she prepares to graduate, Dorothy Echols sees her years as a University of Illinois veterinary student as a time when she grew her passion for caring for a…
Read More >