The crazy beautiful life of Juancho Orjuela
When Juan Orjuela - aka Juancho - was a child, he dreamed of entering veterinary school. Unfortunately, everywhere he looked it seemed this road was an impossible one. There were no Latino veterinarians to look up to and emulate. His family and friends told him not to bother trying. Even those who meant to encourage him simply told him he’d get in on the benefits of being a minority, and nothing more.
These hurtful words might have deterred many other aspiring vets, but Juan only became more determined to get into vet school. He started walking dogs in third grade in order to start earning money, started handling and showing dogs at AKC and UKC shows, and eventually used these tools to get him the connections he needed to learn from real vets.
Realizing his dream
Eventually, Juan’s hard work paid off and he was able to attend vet school—only to discover new problems in his path. Not only were there few to no students like him, but also no way to express his sexual identity as a gay man either. He decided to make a change, and co-founded the Latinx Veterinary Medical Association (LVMA), as well as helping to update the PrideVMC chapter for Ontario Veterinary College (OVC).
The LVMA itself has already helped make diversity and inclusion a focal point in the industry, by bringing together LatinX veterinarians and students around the world, and helping to provide a network, scholarships, and guidance on the road to veterinary school.
It’s a big help to those who may have previously thought vet school was out of reach because of their race, or simply not knowing what path to take in order to get there.
Paving a path to a new world
Juan is currently in his 3rd year of veterinary school, and has great plans for the future. He hopes to become a mentor for other Latinx men and women who dream of becoming a vet, and also to help support the LGBT+ community.
He feels lucky that although he has had many struggles in becoming a veterinary student, abuse for his sexual identity has not been one of them. Although he spent a great deal of his time as a gay man in the closet due to family pressures, he has since opened up about himself, and is making himself in active part of the community.
Not only did he help update the LGBT chapter at Ontario Veterinary College, he also helped make it more open to allies, so they felt welcome in giving the support LGBT need.
Juan has only just begun his path on the road to becoming a veterinarian, but he has already brightened the world in a real way. He has taken in active part in not just becoming a beacon children can look to as an example of what they want to become, but provided help and a pathway for them too.
His efforts could mean lasting change in the industry that will benefit medicine, pets, and the people who love them.
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