May all who enter as guests leave as friends 

I have loved animals since the womb, with my very first word being 'fish'. By the time I could walk, I would pick up anything, and everything, that would move, and experienced my very first scorpion sting. When I was three, my parents threw me a Jurassic Park themed birthday party (the triceratops will always hold a special spot in my heart). Then at five years old, I promptly declared that I was going to be a vet one day. 

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I was raised in Chicago, IL, but it was my passion for horses that drew me to Kentucky where I obtained my Bachelors in Animal Science from the University of Kentucky in December of 2013.  I made a life for myself out there, working with animals any chance I got. It was during my time there that I obtained my very first cat, Flintstone (the handsome grey featured in many of these photos). I had always wanted a cat, but grew up in a family of dog lovers. For many vets, there's that one animal that reminds them why they wanted to become a vet in the first place, he's my man. Flintstone (Flint for short), continues to serve as my cheerleader, even from the other side of the world. 

Many wonder how I made my way from Kentucky to Melbourne, Australia. The short answer is, I believe in a God who wanted me here. Many will find this answer unsatisfactory, so I will elaborate with the full story. Near the end of my undergraduate career, I began looking into Masters programs as a way to make myself more competitive for vet school. Melbourne University sent me some information on their DVM program and I found out that I qualified. However, this story is only just beginning. After graduating from the University of Kentucky, I began to pursue other interests, including fitness. I aspired to become a fitness trainer and placed my dreams of becoming a vet on the shelf.

One day while working out, I herniated a disc in my lower back, terminating all chances of ever becoming a trainer. In my consultation with the neurosurgeon, I was advised to quit my job and 'go to vet school'. I was once again reminded of my dream of becoming a vet, but didn't feel confident enough to pursue it. The following day I met up with a friend I hadn't seen in awhile. While driving me home from dinner that evening, she looks at me and says "Are you going to apply for that vet school in Australia?". I expressed that I didn't have the necessary funds to apply, that it wasn't worth the risk. That next evening, I sat down to have dinner with my dad. In the middle of dinner he begins to tell me how he had made extra money at work that week and that he wanted to share the earnings with the rest of the family. He then proceeded to hand me the exact amount I would need for my application. This was in May, 2015. I applied a couple months later and on August 22, 2015, I found out I was moving to Australia in 5 months time. 

 

Life has been a beautiful journey since then, I absolutely love it out here. However, once I earn my degree, a husband and my Flint beckon me back home, and so one day my journey will continue from there. I aspire to become a feline practitioner, and to one day work for a large cat sanctuary. 

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