Based on your experience here at UNH, why would you recommend prospective students to attend UNH?
What I loved most about UNH was that despite it being large enough to meet new people every day, it was small enough to gain the one-on-one attention I needed to thrive. Every professor and adviser I worked with was so attentive to my future goals, and were always there in a minute's notice to help if I needed it. UNH's professors continued to impress me when it came to gaining hands on experience. I was fortunate enough to participate in CREAM (Cooperative Real Education in Agricultural Management), where I went into the class knowing nothing about cows, and came out knowing enough to impress my classmates currently in veterinary school. During the summer after my freshman year, I took a course called Field Ornithology out at Shoals Marine Laboratory. This course got me so fascinated with birds that I assisted in gull research later that summer. Shoals Marine Lab is an amazing resource for any student looking to pursue biological sciences, and it makes UNH unique.
What are you currently doing? Is your current position related to your undergraduate field(s) of study? I am currently a soon-to-be second year veterinary student at Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine - so yes, it's related to my undergraduate major! I am also a Health Professions Scholarship Program recipient from the United States Army and was recently commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. This means that I will be serving in the United States Army as a veterinarian when I graduate in 2019.
How did your UNH education prepare you for your career? My UNH education showed me that I can balance a lot more than I ever thought I could. When I came to UNH, I wanted to take full advantage of all of the opportunities, veterinary related and extracurricular. I soon found myself joining clubs while taking a full course load, and working on-campus jobs as well. While nothing could prepare me for the massive time commitment that is veterinary school, UNH gave me the ability to manage my time effectively.
What professor influenced you the most during your time here at UNH? This question is tough, because there are so many professors that influenced me!
Dr. Michelle Fleetwood was my adviser, and was always there to cheer me on whenever I doubted if I'd make it in veterinary medicine or not. She also helped me look for internships, and was there whenever I had a question about scheduling or applications. Dr. Drew Conroy advised me for my research, and taught the dairy classes I took. He showed me I didn't have to grow up on a farm to be good with handling cows. I'm so thankful he was my adviser for research, because he was always there to encourage and inspire creativity into my project. All of the other professors I interacted with at UNH also had positive influences on me, and I wish I could list every wonderful thing they did for me.
What course was the most difficult for you and why? Organic Chemistry for sure! That class taught me how to study. The second time I took it, I realized that if I stayed on top of the course material and studied a little every day, it was much easier.
