Supportive veterinary community: Veterinary medicine is incredibly exciting but can also be emotionally draining, and it is important to have people around you who understand. Relationships I have built with mentors and friends in veterinary school are extremely vital to my emotional health and success in school. My mentors have supported me when I didn’t realize my potential, pushed me to grow and learn, and facilitated some very exciting opportunities. Friends in veterinary school are special because they understand your daily triumphs and struggles more than anyone else.

Wild, weird cases: Colorado State has a large referral center, which means I have seen some very interesting cases coming through, whether it is a bear with a broken paw, a dog with an antler in its face, or a migrating foreign body that happened to be a barbecue skewer. I will miss the bizarre cases we get to see as students.

Colorado. To me Colorado is almost Heaven. I moved out to Colorado from the east coast and had no idea what to expect. I have built a life here and grown to love the differences between the culture of the east coast and the west. I embraced outdoor activities and lifestyle of the west, and will miss really miss Colorado when I graduate.

Second opinions: For every case that comes to CSU, a student, intern or resident, and faculty is looking at the animal. Less pathology will be missed since there are multiple eyes on every case. I will miss this system of checks and balances and access to incredible specialists.

Research: the ability to participate in a variety of research projects is an incredible opportunity provided by academia. During my senior year, I participated in a research project that was presented at a conference in Amsterdam. The experience of sharing knowledge with the international community is one I may never have again, and I was fortunate to have this opportunity during veterinary school