2018 - Academic Leadership Education Advisor

In 2018, I was appointed to the AVMA's Veterinary Leadership Conference Planning Committee (VLCPC) as the Academic Leadership Education Advisor. In this role, I collaborate with a diverse group of veterinarians and AVMA staff members to plan a continuing education conference that offers leadership content to veterinarians.

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Being an AVMA volunteer grants me a greater understanding of the value of organized medicine and the intricate behind-the-scenes operations that make it possible for veterinarians to have a unified voice. As part of VLCPC, I have networked with diverse veterinarians - including DVMs/VMDs who live across the country, work in alternative branches of the veterinary industry, and are at very different stages of their careers. Exposure to these inspiring people broadens my horizons, gives me experience collaborating with diverse teams, teaches me about alternative career paths and opens up new opportunities including public speaking.

The Veterinary Leadership Experience (VLE) is a week long intensive program held in Idaho that gathers student leaders, industry representatives, clinicians, and academics.

There, I witnessed and learned how to practice servant leadership. I was given the chance to go outside of my comfort zone to try new things and reflect on what leadership and veterinary medicine mean to me.

I also got to foster friendships with veterinarians and students all across the country.

2014 National Executive Board, Business Certificate Director

2013 Chapter President, Auburn University

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In the spring of 2013, I was nominated as President of Auburn's VBMA chapter. The association was scattered and disorganized, but still stood out as one of the best organizations on campus. After attending VBMA's National Conference in Orlando, FL, I was filled with the motivation and inspiration to help VBMA at Auburn grow. By the end of the semester, VBMA at Auburn had a 350% increase in membership. We planned, funded, and executed almost 15 events which qualified for the Business Certificate Program (BCP)  that we initiated that semester. We collaborated with nearby vet schools for events, promoted VBMA and the BCP to Auburn's administration, and sought out sponsors and grants to achieve our goals. Ultimately, VBMA became one of the largest and most influential associations on campus. Because of my success in my role as President of the local chapter, I was honored with a position as one of six people on the National VBMA Board. My role was the Business Certificate Director. In this capacity, I helped VBMA expand nationally and internationally by promoting our BCP to practice owners, clients, sponsors, and universities. During my term, we managed a budget over $300,000 in order to best educate our 3,500+ members.

I designed VBMA's Honors Program which recognizes the students with the most business aptitude and matches them with mentors who evaluate the student's portfolio. This program took hours of researching similar programs in other industries, seeking advice from all types of members of the veterinary industry, and conducting trials.

My involvement with VBMA has had a strong role in further developing my leadership skills. As President of the local chapter, I coordinated with sponsors and speakers to put on events for over 180 people. I negotiated a bank account of almost $15,000, and I innovated ways to promote the cause and boost membership.

Being involved in VBMA is my single most influential experience throughout veterinary school. I got to be surrounded and inspired by veterinary student leaders across the country, work alongside some of the best leaders and human beings I know, and network with hundreds of veterinarians, industry representatives, VBMA alumni, and more.

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To learn more about why you should hire a VBMA graduate, read on the VBMA site here.

Founder, President

In my first year at Vanderbilt University, I recognized a void on campus. There was no pre-veterinary group to offer support or advice. That year, I founded Vanderbilt’s first pre-veterinary medicine society. In the three years I served as president, I increased active membership by 65%, organized regular animal-related community service opportunities, and successfully completed the campus club funding process to build our budget.

As founder of VVMS,  I developed extensive experience with starting and building new organizations. I wrote the constitution, created a website, and registered the society as a university-approved organization. I also learned how to establish a presence on campus through advertisements, meetings with faculty and local veterinarians, and partnerships with other clubs. You can see the history and progress of VVMS at its website: 

http://studentorgs.vanderbilt.edu/vvms/

At Vanderbilt, I was selected as one of the university’s top leaders and participated in a year-long leadership program which explored leadership models and strategies. After two semesters of meeting with local and campus leaders, we went on a capstone project to Austin, TX. In Austin, we explored unique organizations like the Armstrong Foundation, a local magnet school, and others. It allowed us to see leadership function in diverse ways and encouraged us to explore our own methods and paths of leadership.

Manager

In the fall of 2012, I earned the position as the manager of the Hill's pet food campus store. In this role, I combined my love for vet medicine and business. I managed inventory, interacted with suppliers, and found ways to boost profits. I also distributed food to customers weekly and assisted them in choosing appropriate pet foods. Being a store manager also allowed me to learn more about not only pet nutrition but also what it means to work in veterinary industry.

Since I took over the position, the food sales increased from approximately 2,000lb per week to 3,000lb per week, as a result of the improved marketing and awareness of the store.