Virginia-Maryland veterinary students receive 2015 Zoetis scholarships
Nineteen veterinary students from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech have been named 2015 Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholars Award recipients.
The second- and third-year students will each receive a $2,000 scholarship from the animal health company Zoetis and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges.
Recipients reflected a broad range of professional interests and include:
- LaCheryl Ball (Class of ’17), small animal tracker from Richmond, Virginia
- Derek Heizer (Class of ’16), food animal tracker from Middlebrook, Virginia
- Anna Katogiritis (Class of ’17), small animal tracker from Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Allison Keil (Class of ’16), small animal tracker from Highland Park, New Jersey
- Alexander King (Class of ’17), small animal tracker from Alexandria, Virginia
- Kathryn Lacy (Class of ’16), equine tracker from Richmond, Virginia
- Jessica Lambert (Class of ’17), food animal tracker from Frederick, Maryland
- Katie McHenry (Class of ’16), equine tracker from Rising Sun, Maryland
- Kayla Muncy (Class of ’17), small animal tracker from Bluefield, Virginia
- Vanessa Oakes (Class of ’16), public/corporate tracker from Reston, Virginia
- Jorge Posadas (Class of ’17), small animal tracker from Frederick, Maryland
- Amanda Rao (Class of ’17), small animal tracker from Carlisle, Massachusetts
- Bridgette Ringley (Class of ’16), mixed animal tracker from Blacksburg, Virginia
- Betsy Schroeder (Class of ’16), public/corporate tracker from Blacksburg, Virginia
- Timothy Scott (Class of ’16), equine tracker from Blacksburg, Virginia
- Allison Sparks (Class of ’17), mixed animal tracker from Cedar Bluff, Virginia
- Robyn Terrel (Class of ’16), food animal tracker from Honesdale, Pennsylvania
- Sara Waltz (Class of ’16), small animal tracker from Raleigh, North Carolina
- Mary Weatherman (Class of ’17), food animal tracker from Roanoke, Virginia
The Virginia-Maryland students were selected from almost 1,200 applicants from colleges of veterinary medicine in the U.S. and Caribbean. From those applications, 487 recipients were selected for the award and will cumulatively receive nearly $974,000 in scholarships.
Applicants were evaluated based on several criteria, including academic excellence, professional interests, financial need, diversity, leadership, and potential for contribution to the veterinary profession.
“We are proud to reward and recognize these veterinary students who are already demonstrating academic excellence, a commitment to veterinary medicine and leadership,” said Dr. Christine Jenkins, chief veterinary medical officer with Zoetis. “By investing in the next generation of veterinarians, we can address some of our existing industry challenges, including the issues of student debt and the need for greater diversity in the veterinary profession.” The average veterinary student graduates with a loan debt nearing $140,000, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Launched six years ago, the scholarship program is part of the Zoetis Commitment to Veterinarians initiative, which offers support through training and education, research and development, investing in the future of the veterinary profession, and philanthropy.
