Tina Hansen's mission to save the world
Tina Hansen is one of the hardest working veterinary students out there. Her drive started early in life, and came to a head when she spent a year in the military. She was given a choice between becoming a medic, which she had a passion for—and working with military dogs, another passion.
She chose to work with the dogs, but it sparked an idea inside her—if she could combine her passions for the medical field and the animal field, she would have the best career in the world. A new vet student was born.
The veterinary field inspired her in ways no other opportunities available to her could. It gave her the satisfaction of helping both an individual animal and a species in general, but also people as well. It allowed her to be a helping hand, and also continue to work with animals.
Like many vet students, Tina put her all into what she was doing. Sometimes, she would give her all and just a smidge more, which resulted in her needing months to recover from the effort. It took time for her to realize that this extreme lifestyle was unsustainable, and that she had to do something novel for her---start saying no.
Tina wishes that she had learned how to say no earlier, and to set healthy boundaries for her younger self. Today however, she has learned not only when she doesn’t have time or needs to take a break, but also what success truly is.
A trip to Australia helped her attain this valuable mindset, and Alex Hynes and Gerardo Poli were both big inspirations in helping her get there. They helped show her that success isn’t a pinnacle you achieve such as getting into or finishing vet school, it’s a lifestyle. Everything you do can be a step towards success, and that’s what makes you successful.
A quote that helps sum this up might be, "Aim for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." Tina aspires to live that lifestyle, aiming high for her dreams, but being flexible enough to thrive no matter what comes her way.
Today, Tina is in the 5th year out of 5.5 for becoming a veterinarian. She has also volunteered in Zimbabwe in order to learn more about and help wildlife, going herself when opportunities through school were limited. She learned a lot during this time, and greatly valued the experience made available to her.
She went to Namibia for 5 weeks a while after high school to a volunteer project, “Naankuse”. Her team was working with all types of wildlife and horses. That is when the conservation bug bit her and she’s been volunteering a lot since then. Some of the trips she’s made included a week spent volunteering with elephants for a foundation Thailand. She later spent 2 weeks in Zimbabwe at an antelope park working with lions and horses.
In the next 5 years, she hopes to be an inspiration for others, and someone they can turn to for advice. She hopes to be a positive force for good, both for animals and for people.
Right now, she’s already well on her way to doing so. Her Instagram @travelingvetstudent is full of the adventures she has gone on, the animals she has helped, and her journey through life. She has rapidly grown a following of other veterinarian students, hopefuls, and people who simply love and appreciate her beautiful thoughts.
Follow her on instagram
