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Look on the Bright Side

Stay positive. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “With the new day, comes new strength and new thoughts.” The hot topic of the day is COVID-19, and with a national social distancing policy and a Texas state shelter-in-place occurring, Americans are staying indoors and, predominantly, at home.

Staying home can get very boring, very quickly, but one thing that I do is try to stay positive in light of this all. My key motivations during my last semester of senior year are staying active, keeping connections, and de-stressing.

During this season of quarantine, being active has helped keep me from eating an entire
tub of ice cream in the freezer. Working out helps me to feel productive and start off my day in a great mood. When COVID-19 is over (whenever that may be), I want to feel good about myself. I don’t want to gain a “COVID 19 pounds” during this time. I want to LOSE those 19 pounds.

Each evening, I take my dog out for a jog around the neighborhood. Every day is ab day, and one of the best things about this alone time is the freedom to reflect on the day. Though times are tough, my goal is to use this to my advantage and stay in shape in order to better my physical and mental health.

As a senior, I have made lots of new friends from both my undergraduate courses and from working at the Veterinary School. Another goal of mine is to stay in contact with those friends, despite the social distance policy, through virtual connections. With technology today, I can easily make a video call to anyone in any location through simple apps like Zoom, Skype, and Facetime (to name a few).

The people I have met from working as a BIMS Ambassador has given me lifelong friends. I work hard to stay in touch with those friends that are now either in their 4th year of Veterinary School or are already practicing veterinarians! Catching up with old and new friends during this time of quarantine is the best time to make time.

Lastly, I feel SO refreshed with all of my courses being online now. Not only do I have time to focus on my physical and mental wellbeing, but I also have free time to de-stress. During
Zoom online course lectures, I can pace myself through the recorded lectures. I am given the opportunity to be comfortable from my own home while watching a lecture on equine nutrition.

Organizations have cancelled their meetings and requirements, and my work and research are changing their hours to become more flexible for students that are still in College Station. With online courses, I am given an opportunity to focus on myself. I can study for the GRE, prepare for vet school applications for this coming cycle, learn a new skill, and even cook a recipe I have never had the time to make.

Although I did not know that March 6, 2020 would be my very last in-person lecture for my undergraduate years of college, I am thankful for the new doors of opportunity that have opened before me.

I get to bond with my dog that usually had to stay home alone for almost 12 hours at a time during the school year. I have the time to reconnect with old and new friends, as well as check in with family, from a distance and on a more flexible schedule. And I am way less stressed with courses online and organizational commitments canceled (don’t get me wrong. I love all of the organizations that I am in). All in all, I am looking on the bright side of this, as I am currently healthy and happier now.

Making Tough Decisions

Spring semester is a time for new beginnings and new chapters. As a senior undergraduate, this is the time to make plans for the future.

Over winter break, I made it a personal goal of mine to map out “what ifs” for my future.

I have decided to take a gap year before applying to veterinary school. My parents and quite a few people I know were disappointed to hear that I did not apply for veterinary school last summer; however, I felt relieved.

Mentally, I do not feel prepared for the rigor of vet school, yet. After working as an ambassador for almost three years, I have been given an amazing opportunity to work closely with veterinary students, veterinarians, and faculty members.

From hearing the students’ personal stories on how they got to veterinary school, whether it was applying early, on time, or taking a gap year or more, I made a decision for myself to wait at least one year before applying.

In the meantime, my “what ifs” consist of working full time at a vet clinic, taking online classes to bring up my GPA, doing a non-thesis masters, and/or graduate research.

The future is so unknown and so far from “tomorrow” that it is hard to know where I will be and what I will be doing prior to vet school. I still intend with 100 percent confidence to apply to vet school, but it will now be a matter of “when.”

By looking forward to the future, I also had time to reflect on my past to get me where I am today.

My college career has been full of laughter, tears, and passion. I started off my freshman year in six student organizations, whereas now I’m in four student organizations and working two jobs.

I have gone from a general member of Patriot Paws of Aggieland to president of the organization, continuing to serve in the training of service dogs for veterans in need.

I am a student worker in equine research, and I have gone from living in a dorm to living in a house off campus.

I also am in a serious relationship of over three years, and I own a dog now.

Reflecting on where I started my college career, loving where I am today, and anticipating the future ahead, I can say that despite the tears, stress, and mental breakdowns, I do not regret who I have become.

College has both challenged and changed me, for better or for worse.

What I know now is that this semester is my final spring as an undergraduate, and I couldn’t be prouder about it.

Celebrating Senior Year in South Africa

Senior year is finally here for me!

 

To kick off my last undergraduate year, over the summer, I went on a pre-veterinary internship to South Africa in May. Hannah, a fellow CVM Ambassador and friend, accompanied me on this life-changing experience.

We traveled to Chintsa, South Africa, to shadow and assist veterinarians from all over the world through the program Safari 4U. It was a two-week internship that included 100 veterinary hours of experience, and we were able to interact with exotic and domestic animals of various types. From community service to game capture, we did it all!

 

 

Each day, we would drive to townships, known as underdeveloped urban areas, and go around the community to
give medical treatment to the locals’ animals, which ranged from dogs, puppies, cattle, and others. We did our
veterinary services for free for the locals and even held a spay and neuter clinic. Hannah and I received hands-on experience in giving    de-wormer to puppies and Ivermectin to animals in need.

 

 

For game captures, we were able to relocate animals for safety and breeding, and we personally were able to assist in moving a giraffe to his new home! We saw zebra, impala, blesbok, giraffes, lions, warthogs, and so much more! Each day was an adventure with a veterinarian or veterinary nurse/technician.

After a hard day’s work, we would go to the beach, ride horses, quad bike (or four wheel) up a mountain, or just gather seashells on the shore. It was a beautiful place to visit, even though it was the beginning of their winter season.

 

Overall, the trip greatly impacted Hannah and me in our decision to become veterinarians. Someday, I would love to return to the program as a veterinarian and teach some of the courses that were taught to me.