From Doc McStuffins to College: My Journey to Becoming a Veterinarian by Jacqueline

From Doc McStuffins to College: My Journey to Becoming a Veterinarian by Jacqueline - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

It’s time for your checkup!” I would say as I carefully pulled my next stuffed animal to my table and proceeded to make sure they were healthy. I would carefully line up all my stuffed animals along the floor of my room, placing them in order from smallest to biggest, and believe me the line was long! I would place each of them one by one on my “exam table” and look them over to make sure each was intact and didn’t have any damage. My favorite cartoon at the time was Doc McStuffins, so I would watch what happened on the show and pretend to treat my stuffed animals the same way. My mom was a nurse, so she gave me one of her older stethoscopes to use and bought me a pretend doctors set to use for my exams. I would pretend to listen to their heart, just as my mom showed me, bandaged up their boo boos, and give them pretend shots.

As long as I can remember I wanted to become a veterinarian someday. I would find myself spending time outdoors because I loved nature so much. I would chase bunny rabbits and squirrels, just to see if I could get them close enough to eat out of my hand. We had chickens in our backyard that I would carry around as if they were one of my stuffed animals so I could watch them and protect them. I would catch anything that was alive, whether it be earthworms, grasshoppers, beetles, and even snakes, and place them in an area where I could watch how they would move about and eat their food. As I grew older, my curiosity in animals grew and I wanted to learn everything I could about how animals functioned and survived. I became interested in learning more about the anatomy of animals and would look up videos and information online.

When I entered high school, I was finally able to pursue my passion and started taking courses in the animal science program my school offered. I was accepted into the Vet Med Practicum course and started doing my clinical hours at a local Veterinary clinic and currently working towards my Vet Tech certification. This experience has provided me with hands-on experience and knowledge that will be useful in my studies in veterinary medicine. I plan to enter college in the fall of this year and pursue a degree in Animal Science with a concentration of Pre-Veterinarian medicine. Once I complete my undergraduate degree, I plan to complete my doctorate and hopefully will achieve my ultimate dream of becoming a veterinarian!