New Winners
2020 $3,000 Winner Amy Desjardins
Fort Collins, CO
Colorado State University
GPA: 3.26
Nominated by Keith Manufacturing
My professional goal is to become a mixed animal veterinarian, providing exceptional medical and surgical care to patients while educating clients on public health awareness and all aspects of animal care. I have always wanted to become a veterinarian and combine my passion for medicine and animals into one career. Having the opportunity to obtain a doctorate of veterinary medicine degree at Colorado State University is an amazing accomplishment and I truly believe it will set me up for success in the veterinary profession. I want to uphold the oath that I took, as I started my education in veterinary medicine, and relieve animal suffering, promote animal health and welfare, protect the public health and environment and educate society.
Over the last several years, I have been able to work at a veterinary hospital where I have gained first-hand experiences from the veterinarians that work there. I have worked as a kennel assistant where I kept the boarding facility clean and the animals happy. I was also a part time receptionist and a veterinary assistant which is basically a nurse in the animal world. Helping with clinical rotations, surgeries such as spays, neuters and exploratory surgeries, and getting to work in the lab have been some of the highlights of the job. I learned how to take radiographs, run bloodwork as well as draw for blood on the patients and so much more. My employers never hesitated to answer my questions or explain what they were doing so that I could learn from them. The veterinarians also asked questions of me to see what I had learned or what I would do in a certain situation. Although I loved working as a veterinary assistant, I am also grateful that my employer let me work as a kennel assistant and a receptionist. Learning the different aspects of how a veterinary clinic runs was very educational and fun!
During the summer of 2017, I was able to work at an equine hospital and saw several lameness cases. Laminitis is a common diagnosis of lameness in horses and occurs when the bone in the hoof begins to rotate. This causes a lot of heat and inflammation to the horse’s legs. One remedy is to cover the horse’s hooves in ice to reduce the inflammation and cool the blood. The current methods of getting a horse to stand in ice water is to get a large IV fluid bag, fill it up with ice and tie it around the horse’s leg. Unfortunately, this still doesn’t always work. As an ice association, working with veterinarians to come up with products that would be easier to use in situations like this would be very beneficial. Ice therapy, in general, is a method of reducing inflammation and swelling and can be used in both animal and human medicine.
Getting to experience just how much veterinarians do and how much they know for different species is mind blowing. It excites me to work hard and see what I can become, especially utilizing the new medical advancements and products. As a second-year veterinary student, I would appreciate your consideration for this scholarship so that I can continue my education to help animals and to make a career out of what I considered to be the best job ever.
2020 $3,000 Winner Sara Martin
Cincinnati, OH
University of Kentucky
GPA: 4.53 Weighted GPA
Nominated by Home City Ice Company
I was born on 9/26/01 with a congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot. I had my first
open heart surgery at 9 months of age, my second open heart surgery at the age of 4 years old
and had angioplasty in September of 2013 when I was 12. I have no restrictions and see my
cardiologist yearly. In 2014 for the first time I went to Heart Camp at Camp Joy which allowed
me to meet kids my own age that have been through the same things as myself, this also inspired
me to be a Pediatric Cardiologist.
As you grow older you are constantly asked “What do you want to be when you grow
up?” This question only gets asked more when you become a senior in high school. For me the
answer is easy. After being born with a congenital heart defect I encountered a lot of hospital
staff. The amazing medical care they gave to me has inspired me to pursue a career where I can
give the same amazing medical care to other children. My decision to pursue a career in the
medical field has only been fueled more by participating in Tap MD, a program where I had the
opportunity to participate in many hands on activities at the top medical facilities in Cincinnati.
Not only did Tap MD confirm my decision to pursue a career in the medical field but my job as a
hostess did as well. A hostess in a restaurant may seem like it has little correlation to the medical
field but for me it only confirmed that I want a job where I can help others. As a hostess I was
really driven to give the best service because I wanted to help give the customers the best
experience possible.
Through my middle school and high school years I have participated in track and
volleyball, I do not let my “heart” hold me back it actually gives me the courage to try things I
never thought I would do like zip lining. I am also an active member in my Young Life Group
which allowed me to spend a month last Summer in Saranac, New York volunteering as a
kitchen staff member, going there not knowing anyone and being 12 hours from home I learned a
lot about what I want to do in life and how I want to live it. Thank you for considering my
application for this scholarship.