Accepting and Applying the Hurdles by Larissa

Accepting and Applying the Hurdles by Larissa - August 2014 Scholarship Essay

My dream was always to help animals. I started as a child, saving each worm from the sidewalk after a heavy rain, and continued to include being a veterinary assistant and wildlife keeper. I always believed my path would result in becoming the best veterinarian out there. But life had other plans for me.

In kindergarten our teacher asked us to draw a picture of what we wanted to be when we grew up. My picture was a crude crayon drawing of a veterinarian with stethoscope on a dog. In high school I loaded myself with science courses whenever possible and stayed after for Calculus club and Anatomy extra credit sessions. My undergraduate work kept me busy with behavioral research, working as a veterinary assistant, and caring for wild animals on the side. It all lead up to veterinary school.

I witnessed multiple classmates fail during our first year. I swore that would never be me; I would not let myself and my family down. I earned a D in one course the second semester and was placed on academic probation. So I swore again that I would not fail – I would work harder. The second year I failed a course. As a result I changed my academic advisor, visited a counselor regularly for test anxiety, and guaranteed myself that I would make it through the following semester. I did not, and I was removed from the program.

My advisor told me at that time, “Some of my previous students were very thankful for being held back. They learned the material better the second time around.” He was incredibly supportive and absolutely wanted me to succeed no matter what. I did not believe his words at that time though; I wanted to be with the classmates I knew already and to continue on to fulfill my dream as soon as possible. I applied for readmission, and was allowed to repeat the second year, earning better grades than I had imagined were possible. I was then pleased with myself. “I can do this!”

Third year, I failed again. And I was no longer allowed to continue, despite my pleas. I thought my life was over. I had no money and no immediate job. I believed whole-heartedly that there was no place in the animal care world due to my apparent incompetence. The associate dean invited me to her office and encouraged me. “This is NOT the end. There are other routes.” She laid out the reasons to apply for the veterinary technology program, including my excellent nursing and hands-on skills she observed during my courses.

I had not realized it before, but when I started my current job as a veterinary assistant, I found that the nursing side of veterinary medicine was my goal all along. It was my first experience working with registered veterinary technicians, and I found myself yearning to be in their positions. I had applied to the Purdue University vet tech program, but was turned down after the interview. So with my extensive schooling and experience, I decided to start accredited online courses while working full time. After just one semester I have learned a great deal and have already begun to apply some of the concepts at work, while informing the current techs about new ideas to enhance our clinic’s operation and care. And to boost my confidence even further, I earned straight A’s!

I am excited about this new start, and am enjoying the opportunity to do what I truly wanted to do all along despite my setbacks. I am holding discussions with the vets and technicians at our hospital about clinical signs, diagnostics, and the best route to proceed with a patient. I can ask pertinent questions to enhance my understanding of cases for future patients. I can educate the client better with my current understanding. Typical vet tech courses are more basic, without the intense details about the body systems and how diseases are diagnosed. Taking these courses after my experience in veterinary school will allow me to better care for the patients with a more enhanced understanding of their diagnoses. I am now thankful for the years in veterinary school which had felt like a waste when I failed out. I will use my former knowledge to my advantage and care for my patients even better as a result.