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Meet Courtney Conroy '13, DVM '17, associate veterinarian at Clevengers Corner Veterinary Care in Amissville, Virginia. Courtney said the best advice she got was that "No patient walks itself into a veterinary clinic," but that really did happen once! She loves hobby farming and being called "Farmer Courtney." Amid a menagerie of over 30 animals (not counting two bee hives), her and her husband's dog is named "Skipper" for the cannon fired after Hokies touchdowns.

Meet Maureen Noftsinger DVM '01, medical director for Emergency Veterinary and Specialty Services, located at Roanoke. Noftsinger fondly recalls the post-exam taligates and Thursday night study sessions while watching "ER" while she was at VMCVM. She is passionate about animals but also about helping people, often hosting students in the clinic ranging from elementary school to veterinary school. Noftsinger has a farm with 23 goats, 5 sheep, 15 chickens, 5 dogs, and a cat.

Meet Estelle Ward DVM '88, owner and medical director of West Friendship Animal Hospital in Maryland. Estelle says that "mentorship is one of the greatest joys of the profession" and that small animal veterinary medicine is a people business, first and foremost. Estelle's 20 critters at Starward Farm include seven tarantulas, three snakes and a gecko. She also has a cat named after Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam.

Meet Stacey (Ward) Cordivano DVM '08, founder of Clay Creek Equine Veterinary Services in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Passionate about helping to create a more sustainable career path for other equine veterinarians, Stacey says she is lucky to have had so many mentors to impart wisdom and inspiration, and she encourages students to get as many experiences as possible because any of them could lead to an amazing path.

Meet Katherine Broaddus '83, DVM '86, a veterinarian with Broad Run Veterinary Service in Bluemont, Virginia. One of only a few women to finish the Vermont 100 both on horse and foot, she is passionate about exposing people to foxhunting and carriage driving to preserve those sports for the future. Broaddus said being an alum has allowed her unlimited access over the years to top doctors and advice without judgement. She encourages current veterinary students to do a complete history and physical examination to diagnose patients before implementing the help of modern technology.

Aimee Dalrymple, DVM ’95, is a shelter medicine specialist at Shelter Veterinary Care Consulting LLC in Natick, Massachusetts. After beginning her career in small animal general practice, she transitioned to shelter medicine and later earned a Master’s in Shelter Medicine through the University of Florida’s online program. She credits VMCVM with providing the strong clinical foundation that has supported her more than 30-year career, which now includes consulting with shelters, teaching at veterinary schools, and collaborating on research. Passionate about advancing evidence-based shelter medicine and dispelling misconceptions about the field, Dalrymple says all the hard work is worth it because veterinary medicine is “inspiring, challenging, and wonderful”—and even decades later, she can still ear-tag a sow or operate a cattle chute when needed.

Meet Amber Lee, a 2013 graduate of VMCVM who is the medical director at Mountain View Humane Spay/Neuter Clinic. Amber says she values staying connected to the VMCVM network -- living and working in Christiansburg enables her to collaborate with veterinary college faculty regularly. Amber loves to bake, and, even though her work is focused on dogs and cats, finds that equine and food animal factoids she learned in vet school are very helpful on trivia night.

Meet JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM ’10, a freelance medical writer at JPen Communications. After earning her DVM from VMCVM, she took a non-traditional path, pursuing a postdoctoral research fellowship at Emory University and then a career transition to medical writing, where she uses her clinical knowledge to make complex veterinary topics accessible to pet parents. Her VMCVM education equipped her with the resilience and versatility to thrive in a unique and meaningful career.

Meet Melani French DVM '14, associate veterinarian at Clevengers Corner Veterinary Care in Amissville, Virginia. A proud VMCVM alum, she values the strong Hokie network in her area and the hands-on experience that shaped her career. Passionate about youth mentorship, Melani coaches a middle school step team and volunteers in her community, bringing the same dedication to her patients as she does to inspiring the next generation.