An achievement that I am extremely proud of is overcoming the challenge of maintaining a strong academic record while also excelling in extracurricular activities with a daunting and strenuous schedule. For the past three years, and now almost four, I have maintained high grades while excelling in field hockey and marching band in the fall, as well as stage crew and softball in the spring. To overcome the challenge of conflicting schedules, I communicated with my coaches and directors, prepared myself for each activity, and found time to commit to my studies. No matter how tired I was, I always did my best to put in maximum effort and have the best attitude to ensure that my absence didn’t affect my teammates. I have always put in the most effort to ensure self-improvement in field hockey. When I started to participate in this sport, I was a scared freshman who knew nothing about the game. The first time I tried to play, it was completely intimidating stepping onto a field where everyone else had been playing the sport for 5 or more years, but I turned that fear into motivation, and that motivation is what pushed me to put my best effort into every practice and game. I was never afraid to ask questions, I practiced my technique daily and pushed myself to the limit during conditioning training. My teammates always had my back when I made mistakes and helped me to do better next time. Similar to my experience in field hockey, marching band helped me learn the value and importance of hard work through countless hours of rehearsals, performances, and practice. I have made countless bonds and memories with students who share my love for music, and no matter how exhausted I was, the hard work always paid off. I had to practice for hours every single day, and I came to every rehearsal determined to self-assess and improve. I provided my fellow peers with support whether it was giving them one of my snacks, offering water, or even just being there to listen and offer some advice. During my freshman year, we were a small band competing against ourselves in the festival class. Fast forward four years, and countless hours of work later, and I was in Hershey Stadium, hearing the announcement that our marching band had won the 2023 Atlantic Coast Championships. I am now proud to say that after four seasons of hard work in every activity, I have surpassed the expectations that come with being a student-athlete. I have proven to be a dedicated student-athlete who is determined to always work toward self-improvement. I am a leader for those around me as I demonstrate maturity, integrity, and kindness to others. Although new experiences can be daunting, and pursuing my dream career of becoming a veterinarian will be scary, I will use the work ethic I learned from marching band and the perseverance I learned from field hockey to find success in my day-to-day life. I will dedicate myself to my studies and I will not be afraid to pursue my interests in athletics at the same time. I will learn from my mistakes and use those lessons to grow as a person. I will work as hard as I can to be the best version of myself I can become.

My passion for veterinary science sparked during my placement experience at the Middletown Veterinary Hospital. During this placement, I was given the incredible opportunity to witness operations, clinical appointments, and emergency response care, observe numerous treatments, compare the anatomy of different species, and even assist with the neutering of a shelter dog. Throughout my experience, I was able to gain insights into different treatment decisions and medical scenarios by asking questions and listening to what the doctors had to say. The most memorable experience that pushed me to become a veterinarian was when I assisted with an emergency canine C-section. It was a day like any other, except when I got there I was told that my mentor, Dr.Jackson, was already in the surgery room. When I walked in, a dog was already on the table ready to go through a procedure, so I knew something was urgent. When I asked what was happening it was explained to me that they had decided to conduct an emergency C-section on a chihuahua in an attempt to save the mother's life. We were expecting the outcome of this procedure to be a mother whose children did not make it, but we could not have been more wrong. During the procedure, Dr.Jackson would carefully remove the babies from the mother's stomach, and could then hand them off to her surgical tech and vet student to try and make them whine and show signs of life. They had me assist with handing them materials like towels and suction devices to get the fluid out of the puppies' lungs. After the mother was closed back up I was able to see that the majority of her puppies were active and breathing. While I was also holding the babies in my hands, to help with the removal of their umbilical cords, I was enthralled by the amazing experience of witnessing this happening while also being able to hold and nurture the little lives that our team had just saved. Feeling the beating hearts of the puppies getting stronger and stronger in my hands, when moments ago we had thought that they were already gone, was so inspiring to me. This procedure was all I could talk about when I got back home and I knew that this would be a moment that I could never forget. This experience piqued my interest in surgical studies and has greatly influenced my plans for the future in the field of veterinary medicine. My eyes were opened to just how intricate and intriguing veterinary science is, and how it can be utilized to save lives that can not save themselves. I now aspire to explore the world of veterinary medicine and have taken my first steps toward that pursuit as I have committed to majoring in small animal science at Delaware Valley University to dedicate myself to these studies and ensure that my future lies in a career where I can use my knowledge to benefit the lives of animals.

My passion for veterinary science sparked during my placement experience at the Middletown Veterinary Hospital. During this placement, I was given the incredible opportunity to witness operations, clinical appointments, and emergency response care, observe numerous treatments, compare the anatomy of different species, and even assist with the neutering of a shelter dog. Throughout my experience, I was able to gain insights into different treatment decisions and medical scenarios by asking questions and listening to what the doctors had to say. The most memorable experience that pushed me to become a veterinarian was when I assisted with an emergency canine C-section. It was a day like any other, except when I got there I was told that my mentor, Dr.Jackson, was already in the surgery room. When I walked in, a dog was already on the table ready to go through a procedure, so I knew something was urgent. When I asked what was happening it was explained to me that they had decided to conduct an emergency C-section on a chihuahua in an attempt to save the mother's life. We were expecting the outcome of this procedure to be a mother whose children did not make it, but we could not have been more wrong. During the procedure, Dr.Jackson would carefully remove the babies from the mother's stomach, and could then hand them off to her surgical tech and vet student to try and make them whine and show signs of life. They had me assist with handing them materials like towels and suction devices to get the fluid out of the puppies' lungs. After the mother was closed back up I was able to see that the majority of her puppies were active and breathing. While I was also holding the babies in my hands, to help with the removal of their umbilical cords, I was enthralled by the amazing experience of witnessing this happening while also being able to hold and nurture the little lives that our team had just saved. Feeling the beating hearts of the puppies getting stronger and stronger in my hands, when moments ago we had thought that they were already gone, was so inspiring to me. This procedure was all I could talk about when I got back home and I knew that this would be a moment that I could never forget. This experience piqued my interest in surgical studies and has greatly influenced my plans for the future in the field of veterinary medicine. My eyes were opened to just how intricate and intriguing veterinary science is, and how it can be utilized to save lives that can not save themselves. I now aspire to explore the world of veterinary medicine and have taken my first steps toward that pursuit as I have committed to majoring in small animal science at Delaware Valley University to dedicate myself to these studies and ensure that my future lies in a career where I can use my knowledge to benefit the lives of animals.

My passion for veterinary science sparked during my placement experience at the Middletown Veterinary Hospital. During this placement, I was given the incredible opportunity to witness operations, clinical appointments, and emergency response care, observe numerous treatments, compare the anatomy of different species, and even assist with the neutering of a shelter dog. Throughout my experience, I was able to gain insights into different treatment decisions and medical scenarios by asking questions and listening to what the doctors had to say. The most memorable experience that pushed me to become a veterinarian was when I assisted with an emergency canine C-section. It was a day like any other, except when I got there I was told that my mentor, Dr.Jackson, was already in the surgery room. When I walked in, a dog was already on the table ready to go through a procedure, so I knew something was urgent. When I asked what was happening it was explained to me that they had decided to conduct an emergency C-section on a chihuahua in an attempt to save the mother's life. We were expecting the outcome of this procedure to be a mother whose children did not make it, but we could not have been more wrong. During the procedure, Dr.Jackson would carefully remove the babies from the mother's stomach, and could then hand them off to her surgical tech and vet student to try and make them whine and show signs of life. They had me assist with handing them materials like towels and suction devices to get the fluid out of the puppies' lungs. After the mother was closed back up I was able to see that the majority of her puppies were active and breathing. While I was also holding the babies in my hands, to help with the removal of their umbilical cords, I was enthralled by the amazing experience of witnessing this happening while also being able to hold and nurture the little lives that our team had just saved. Feeling the beating hearts of the puppies getting stronger and stronger in my hands, when moments ago we had thought that they were already gone, was so inspiring to me. This procedure was all I could talk about when I got back home and I knew that this would be a moment that I could never forget. This experience piqued my interest in surgical studies and has greatly influenced my plans for the future in the field of veterinary medicine. My eyes were opened to just how intricate and intriguing veterinary science is, and how it can be utilized to save lives that can not save themselves. I now aspire to explore the world of veterinary medicine and have taken my first steps toward that pursuit as I have committed to majoring in small animal science at Delaware Valley University to dedicate myself to these studies and ensure that my future lies in a career where I can use my knowledge to benefit the lives of animals.