Rising Stars: Meet the Veterinary Students Who Are Changing Vet Med
Every generation of veterinary medicine has a moment when new voices step forward and change the conversation. Vet Candy's Rising Stars program exists to find those voices early — and make sure the profession knows their names.
These are the veterinary students, new graduates, and early-career DVMs who are already doing the work. They are researchers, advocates, innovators, and clinicians who chose this profession with intention and are building something worth paying attention to. We profile them not because they have arrived, but because they are on their way — and this community deserves to watch them get there.
Rising Stars is published annually by Vet Candy, the leading media platform for veterinary professionals, with over 50,000 members across the globe.
Emese Avdeyenkova Traded Combat Boots for a Stethoscope - and a Diaper Bag!
There is a particular kind of courage it takes to walk away from a career you have already proven yourself in and start over as a first-year student. Emese Avdeyenkova has done exactly that, twice over, once when she traded a biology degree for an Army uniform, and again when she traded that uniform for a white coat. Now she is bringing all of it, the discipline, the humility, and the hard-won perspective, to Vet Candy Radio as one of the vet student hosts of Vet School After Dark.
She Was a Division I Athlete. Now Rachel Churilla Is Coming for Veterinary Medicine
The former UC Davis Division I athlete turned WesternU veterinary student is bringing the lessons she learned on the court into veterinary medicine—and she already has her sights set on practice ownership.
Meet Jess Mitchell: The Vet Student Who Wants to Change What Access to Veterinary Care Looks Like
From a shelter medicine internship to the microphone of Vet Candy's new student-led podcast, Jess Mitchell is building a career around one big idea: more pets deserve to stay in the homes that love them.
She Never Met Her Trailblazing Veterinarian Grandfather. Now She's Carrying His Legacy Forward.
Meet Kennedi Robinson, a fourth-year Purdue DVM student building the mentorship and support system she needed. Her grandfather, pioneering veterinarian Dr. Maurice Crouch, paved the way in 1937 as the first Black veterinary graduate of Kansas State University. Now Kennedi is paying it forward, and changing vet med in the process.
There Was Never a Plan B: How Dr. Jonnathan Escobar Dreamed a Career Into Reality
Meet Dr. Jonnathan Escobar, a first generation Colombian American veterinarian in Houston who never needed a Plan B. A Vet Candy Rising Stars 2026 feature.
Paige Huntzberry Is Bringing Shark Research Experience to Aquatic Veterinary Medicine
Rowan University Class of 2030’s Paige Huntzberry is building a career at the intersection of marine science, conservation, and veterinary medicine, one species most people never get to meet at a time.
Trust Yourself: Leah Laabs Is Already Living the Advice She'd Give Every Vet Student
A DVM Candiate at St. George's University School of Veterinary Medicine, Leah Laabs didn't arrive at vet school the way many of her classmates did, fresh off an undergraduate degree with research experience and a letter of recommendation from a favorite professor. She arrived with years already logged on the floor of an emergency veterinary hospital, the kind of experience that doesn't show up cleanly on a transcript but reshapes how a person sees the entire profession.
Allison Belaunde Did Not See Herself in Vet Med. Now She Is Making Sure Others Do.
Allison Belaunde is a first-generation Latina veterinarian from Western University, Class of 2026. She is building a career centered on oncology, representation, and opening doors for the next generation.
Saya Nei Has a Plan. It Starts in the Exam Room and Ends on Another Continent.
Saya Nei is a UC Davis veterinary student whose dream extends far beyond the exam room, to global outreach, underserved communities, and accessible veterinary care throughout the Middle East.
Rachel Lapidus Came to Veterinary Medicine With a Rescue Dog, a Feral Cat Project, and a Plan
Rachel Lapidus will tell you that if she were not becoming a veterinarian, she would be writing songs. Music is the thing that clears her mind completely, the one place where the noise of clinical rotations and board prep and the relentless pace of veterinary school cannot follow her. It is also, in a way, a window into who she is.
Hailey Blake Doesn't Need to Prove She Belongs Here
Midwestern University vet student Hailey Blake on emergency medicine, burnout, imposter syndrome, and why being teachable beats being the smartest in the room.
Austin Warren is on a Mission Bigger Than Medicine
If Austin Warren could go back and say one thing to the version of himself that was fighting for eighth place at a track meet, dreading every race, it would be this: trust the process. Enjoy the journey along the way. Do not take your support system for granted. Make the connections. Do not be afraid to fail.
Where There Are No Vets: How Lauren Cabrera Is Changing the Future of Animal Care on Saipan
On a small Pacific island surrounded by turquoise water and lush jungle, a quiet revolution in animal care is taking place. It’s being led not by a longtime veterinarian or a major nonprofit organization, but by Lauren Cabrera, a former Miss Vermont, founder of the Saipan Humane Society, first-year veterinary student at Washington State University, and a 2026 Vet Candy Rising Star.
How Janeece Richardson Is Healing the World with Heart, Curiosity, and Courage
If you ask Valedictorian of the Class of 2026 at Tuskegee College of Vet Med, Janeece Richardson, what she’d be doing if she weren’t on a path to become a veterinarian, her answer reveals as much about her spirit as it does her skill: she’d be capturing emotion through a camera lens or creating joy on a plate.
Isla Farrow: Breaking Barriers and Uplifting Future Generations in Veterinary Medicine
Isla Farrow's journey is a testament to perseverance, self-belief, and the power of mentorship. By embracing her purpose and using her platform to advocate for diversity, she’s not only shaping her own future but also paving the way for others to follow in her footsteps. Her passion for veterinary medicine and dedication to making a difference is sure to leave a legacy for years to come.
She Never Got the Dog. She Became the Vet.
Dr. Robinson is a Houston, Texas native, and she is going back. She will join Cy-Fair Animal Hospital in Cypress, Texas, a well-established, community-centered practice with a national profile as the home of Animal Planet and Disney+'s The Vet Life. It is a fast-paced environment, exactly the kind of place where someone who has been preparing her whole life walks in ready.
Cayden Smith: Type A, Slightly Uptight, and Exactly Who SAVMA Needed
Cayden Smith Has Been Sure About One Thing Her Whole Life. Everything Else Is Beautifully Unresolved. The SAVMA President-Elect, second-year vet student, and person who still reads ten pages before bed on exam nights is figuring it out in real time and she is completely okay with that.
She Didn't See Anyone Who Looked Like Her in Vet Med — So She Became the One to Watch
When Hiba Ali dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, she didn't have a blueprint to follow. She didn't know anyone in her community who had taken that path. She didn't see herself reflected in the textbooks, the classrooms, or the professionals in white coats. But she knew one thing for sure that her love for animals and her calling to care for them was undeniable.
She Applied to Vet School From a NATO Base in Eastern Europe. That Is Exactly the Kind of Thing Hannah Porter Does.
Army soldier. Zookeeper. Military police officer. Second-year LSU vet student. Future Army captain. Hannah Porter's path to veterinary medicine did not look like anyone else's, and she is not even a little sorry about it.
Gabriella Turnipseed Interned at NASA. Now She's Saving Animals.
The Tuskegee Class of 2027 student who went from machine learning algorithms at NASA to morning yoga and midnight study sessions, and is building a vision for veterinary medicine that most people have not even thought of yet.
FAQ About Vet Candy Rising Stars
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Vet Candy Rising Stars is an annual program that identifies and celebrates veterinary students and early-career DVMs who are already making an impact in the profession. Each year, Vet Candy profiles a select group of next-generation veterinary professionals — highlighting their stories, their clinical interests, and the work they are doing to move vet med forward.
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Rising Stars features veterinary students, recent graduates, and early-career DVMs who demonstrate exceptional promise, leadership, or innovation in the field. Nominees can be in any specialty or practice area — what matters is the impact they are making and the trajectory they are on.
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Honorees are selected by the Vet Candy editorial team based on nominations from the community, academic institutions, and professional networks.
We look for candidates who exemplify what the next generation of veterinary medicine looks like — curious, driven, community-minded, and unafraid to do things differently.
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Nominations for Rising Stars are accepted through our online form at myvetcandy.com/nominate
You can nominate a classmate, colleague, student, or yourself. We want to hear about the veterinary professionals in your world who deserve a spotlight and tell us who they are and why they belong on this list.
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Vet Candy Rising Stars is published annually every May. The 2026 class is featured now at myvetcandy.com/rising-stars.
Nominations for the next class open later this year, follow Vet Candy on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know.
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Vet Candy is the leading media and education platform for the next generation of veterinary professionals, founded by Dr. Jill López, DVM, MBA.
With over 50,000 members, the number one veterinary podcast on Apple, and programs like NAVLE Warriors, Career Match for Dream Jobs, and Scrub Squad for first year vet students, Vet Candy is where the profession's future is already showing up.