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[MUSIC PLAYING] LORIN WARNICK: Good afternoon. Please be seated.
[APPLAUSE]
OK, welcome everyone. My name is Lorin Warnick. I have the honor of serving as the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine here at Cornell University. It's my pleasure to welcome you to the hooding ceremony for the class of 2022. I'm especially glad to see so many family members and friends join us in person this year, and welcome also to anyone who's watching online.
I want to recognize several special guests with us today as we get started. First of all, provost Mike Kotlikoff, prior Dean of the College. Thanks for being with us, Mike.
We'd also like to give a special welcome to the Board of Trustees member Ezra Cornell and Daphne Cornell, who are here attending their daughter Jackie's hooding. Welcome to the Cornells.
[APPLAUSE]
And we're pleased to be joined by Dr. Mark Will, immediate past president of the New York State Veterinary Medical Society. Thanks for joining us, Dr. Will. And I'd also like to recognize my wife, Jill, who's there with us, a tireless supporter and volunteer for the College of Veterinary Medicine.
[APPLAUSE]
So I'd like to take just a minute also and recognize all the faculty and staff of the college who are in attendance. So will you please stand, and be recognized?
[APPLAUSE]
Thank you, and thanks for being here to support our graduating class. I know you represent many others who are busy in clinical work, diagnostic work, and other things today. But thanks for all do for the College of Veterinary Medicine. And most importantly, welcome to the class of 2022. Congratulations.
[APPLAUSE]
I want to congratulate each of you on achieving this exciting milestone in your professional journey, becoming doctors of Veterinary Medicine. Speaking for all of us in the college, we've enjoyed having you as part of our community these past four years, and we look forward to our association as colleagues in the veterinary profession far into the future.
While this is a celebratory week, I also feel it's important to acknowledge the difficult times we're experiencing in the United States, throughout the world. I know many have been impacted by the recent tragedies, racial violence, and so on in the news, the war in Ukraine, and of course, the devastating impact of the pandemic. As we face these serious challenges, I am glad for our graduates that they are joining a serving profession and that their skills and abilities will be put to use in helping others.
They will become leaders and create positive change in veterinary medicine and in their communities just as they've done during their time at Cornell. One of the pleasures of working at the College of Veterinary Medicine is seeing the diverse extracurricular activities of our students, and I'm always inspired by everything they accomplish. Many have served in student leadership positions, in the Student American Veterinary Medicine Association, as officers and numerous clubs, volunteering for open house or participating in dance collective.
Had a wonderful dance collective event this spring for the first time since the pandemic, beautifully done. In all these activities, you, our students, have added to the spirit of the community and helped us improve and grow our programs. And you've represented our college so well throughout the United States and internationally through volunteerism, externships, and work experience.
You've accomplished all of this while at the same time adapting to ever changing COVID-19 protocols, as we worked our way through the Greek alphabet of variants. Thanks for doing your part to keep the community safe. This included contributing to the two million tests performed by the COVID-19 testing laboratory as part of Cornell's and the regional surveillance program.
For those who don't know, this Laboratory was set up by the College of Veterinary Medicine, faculty and staff in partnership with Cayuga Health Systems. It's been a great resource for the community, and it's an example of a one health effort and the power of working across human and animal health systems. So many of you will go on to small animal internships.
We'll hear in a few moments during the hooding the plans of our graduates, and you'll see the variety. Some will be looking to specialize in the future. Some will be going into the US Army, into poultry industry or laboratory animal medicine. Veterinary medicine offers a wonderful breadth of professional paths, and I'm confident that you'll be well prepared for whichever you choose.
Be alert to new opportunities. Careers can take an unexpected turn. When I graduated from Colorado State University many years ago, I knew I wanted to do large animal clinical work, and I'd been accepted for a one year internship in the ambulatory clinic here at Cornell. But I did not know that I would have the opportunity to go on to a residency, a PhD in epidemiology, return to serve on the faculty, and then as Dean of the College.
My pathology professor at CSU, Dr. Marty Fettman, likely didn't know when he graduated from Cornell in 1980 that he would go on to be trained as an astronaut and fly as a biomedical scientists on a space shuttle mission in 1993. And I'll bet that our own Dr. McDaniel didn't expect that she would be a reality TV star. And for those who aren't aware, that was on the Nat Geo WILD's Vet School Series.
So as you start your careers you'll find this as a time that's just as important as the four years preceding it. You'll be able to apply all the knowledge you've gained, solidify your skills, and take new and increasing levels of responsibility, and you'll find your niche in this incredibly varied and rewarding profession. I was remembering this morning some of the experiences as a new veterinarian here at Cornell. Jill and I and our two sons arrived in the middle of June, and at that time, it was a tradition to have the new ambulatory interns cover emergency calls two to three weeks later on the July 4th weekend.
Before cell phones and GPS when a call came over the pager, the first challenge was finding the farm. And as a Westerner, I grew up on the high plains of Montana. I was used to wide open landscapes and always having the mountains on the horizon as a reference point. It was quite hard to find my way through the valleys and forests, winding roads of Berkshire and Spencer, New York.
It seemed to me that every set of directions in our clinic book said watch for a farm with a white house on one side of the road and a red barn on the other. And every farm I drove by had a white house across from a red barn. One of our first cases for my intern companion and I was an eyelid laceration on a horse. And as we were concentrating, very focused on piecing this back together, a visitor of the farm was literally looking right over our shoulder. And in making small talk, he mentioned he was an MD.
I asked innocently what area of medicine, and he said, well, in fact, I do a lot of eye surgery. Gulp, that was just what we needed as we were already quite nervous enough. Another early call was a scene right out of James Harriet's all creatures great and small. I was examining a dairy cow at a farm a few miles north of here, and the farm owner and his son stood silently in a semicircle around me. There were probably four or five of them. It seemed like a dozen.
They all looked on with the exact same expression on their face, one of skepticism that clearly said, does this guy know anything. So as our new graduates, you might have some similar experiences, but be assured your confidence will develop quickly. You'll have mentors to help you along the way, and I know that our faculty stand ready to provide advice when needed.
Earlier this week, I talked to-- and I just want to share one piece of advice before I wrap up. Earlier this week, I talked to one of our alumni, Dr. Tom Scavelli, DVM class of 1982. And with his permission, I want to share something he told me about his work. He's a board certified veterinary surgeon, founder and director of Garden State Veterinary Specialists, a supporter of the college, and a past member of our College Advisory Council.
His daughter will soon finish her surgical residency and join his practice. And he told me that she had commented recently on how she had learned from watching him the importance of establishing trust in clinical practice, earning the trust of clients and as a specialist the trust of referring veterinarians. So as I reflected on this over the last few days, I thought there would be no more important message that I could share with our newest graduates. Trust can be hard won and easily lost.
It is the foundation of good relationships with clients and the health of their animals. It'll be the basis for people following through with important treatment recommendations, and it'll be what brings people back to your practice. You're aware you'll need to make a living, and trust will allow you to be paid appropriately for your services. For those in careers outside of clinical practice, it will be what allows success in applying your professional judgment and expertise in whatever setting you work. And for all of you, trust will be the source of rewarding relationships with co-workers.
In survey research, veterinarians usually rank very highly as trusted professions, and we enjoy that benefit as we take on this profession. But in recent years, there seems to be a little bit of erosion in that positive public perception. It's up to all of us to maintain that. It's essential for the work we do.
So how do we do that? It's consistently following ethical principles in practice and work, being honest and transparent in communication, adopting an attitude of lifelong learning to stay abreast of advances in the profession to name just a few examples. In spite of our best efforts, we all make mistakes, and we need to be prepared to recognize and correct errors. Even when we've done the right thing, our actions might be misinterpreted or misrepresented by others.
I had an experience like that in clinical practice, and I still remember it as one of the most difficult things I dealt with. If you find yourself in that kind of situation, handle it with grace and patience. Keep on a positive course, and over time your professional integrity will overshadow any misunderstandings or misinformation.
You have a priceless opportunity in the next few months to begin developing the habits that will serve you for many years to come. And I commend to you the observation of Dr. Scavelli, one of our accomplished alumni, about the importance of trust in veterinary practice, and I encourage you to embrace that principle as you start your career. We're all very proud of you. Look forward to hearing much more in the future about your accomplishments.
I hope you've had a wonderful seat senior week. I've enjoyed seeing many of you outside in the front of the college out my windows. You've been getting pictures. And unless I was mistaken, yesterday evening one of you were out there with the dog that was wearing a graduation gown, gray stripes and all. That was lovely, and I'd be great to have that picture.
Again, congratulations to the class of 2022, and we'll move on to the rest of the program. But thank you all for being here.
[APPLAUSE]
So it's now my pleasure to introduce Dr. Mark Will, as I mentioned, the immediate past president of the New York State Veterinary Medical Society, and he is representing the society and here to administer the veterinary oath. Dr. Will?
[APPLAUSE]
MARK WILL: Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for having me here today. It's a pleasure and an honor to be here to give you the veterinarian's oath. It's been a few decades-- I won't say how many-- since the last time I've been in this hall, and nothing ever changes on this campus. It's great.
So for the veterans oath, what I'll have everyone do for the class of 2022, please stand. It is in your program. So if you want to follow along there, you're welcome to. If everyone can raise the right hand and repeat after me. Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine.
ALL: Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine.
MARK WILL: I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills.
ALL: I solemnly swear by scientific knowledge and skills.
MARK WILL: For the benefit of society.
ALL: For the benefit of society.
MARK WILL: Through the protection of animal health and welfare.
ALL: Through the protection of animal health and welfare.
MARK WILL: The prevention and relief of animal suffering.
ALL: The prevention and relief of animal suffering.
MARK WILL: The conservation of animal resources.
ALL: The conservation of animal resources.
MARK WILL: The promotion of public health.
ALL: The promotion of public health.
MARK WILL: And the advancement of medical knowledge.
ALL: And the advancement of medical knowledge.
MARK WILL: I will practice my profession conscientiously.
ALL: I will practice my profession.
MARK WILL: With dignity.
ALL: With dignity.
MARK WILL: And in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics.
ALL: And in keeping with principles of veterinary medical ethics.
MARK WILL: I accept as a lifelong obligation.
ALL: I accept as lifelong obligation.
MARK WILL: The continual improvement of my professional knowledge and experience.
ALL: The continual improvement of my professional knowledge and experiance.
MARK WILL: Thank you. Congratulations, everyone.
[CHEERS]
So you may be seated now. Thank you very much.
LORIN WARNICK: Thank you, and again, Dr. Will, thank you for being with us. So next I will be joined by assistant dean for student services and admissions, Dr. Jai Sweet, who will present the class for hooding and will congratulate the graduates. And we'll invite each person to come up in turn for hooding.
I know we're having this at, kind of, an odd time of day, lunchtime if I'm not mistaken. I wish we could pass out sandwiches to everyone, but they don't allow food in Bailey Hall. But we will have a nice reception afterwards. So the wait will be worth it. So Dr. Sweet, let's proceed with hooding.
JAI SWEET: Thank you, Dean Warnick. OK, class of 2022, will the first row please stand?
Aditi [? Mittal ?] [? Ahuja. ?]
[APPLAUSE]
Aditi will be doing a small animal rotating internship at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington DC.
[APPLAUSE]
Hassan [? Phish ?] Amin.
[APPLAUSE]
Hassan will be joining a small animal practice in Long Island, New York.
Michael Thomas Esther.
[APPLAUSE]
Mike will be joining a small animal practice in Atlanta, Georgia.
[APPLAUSE]
Nicole Lynn Ayers.
[APPLAUSE]
Nicole will be joining a small animal practice in Pennsylvania.
Erika Baier.
[APPLAUSE]
Erika will be pursuing small animal medicine, emergency medicine with Veterinary Emergency Group in New York.
Rebecca Baker.
[APPLAUSE]
Rebecca will be working for the New York State Racing Association upon graduation.
[APPLAUSE]
Stephanie Bandusky.
[APPLAUSE]
Stephanie will be joining a dairy practice in Vermont.
[APPLAUSE]
Mario Allen [INAUDIBLE] Hernandez.
[APPLAUSE]
Mario will be pursuing a small animal internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York City.
[APPLAUSE]
Joshua Michael Berenson.
[APPLAUSE]
Josh will be taking part in a small animal rotating internship at the Oradell Animal Hospital in New Jersey.
[APPLAUSE]
Allison Alana Bichoupan with distinction.
[APPLAUSE]
Allison is excited to be joining a small animal general practice in New York City.
[APPLAUSE]
Emma Rose Bond.
[APPLAUSE]
Emma will be joining a small animal practice on Long Island with an emphasis in working with local animal rescue groups.
[APPLAUSE]
Gabrielle Yvonne Brewster.
[APPLAUSE]
Gabrielle will be practicing large animal ambulatory medicine in upstate New York.
Julia Paige [? Burgandy. ?]
[APPLAUSE]
Julia will be practicing mixed ambulatory medicine at countryside veterinary clinic in Lowville, New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Caitlyn Brown.
[APPLAUSE]
Caitlyn will be completing a small animal rotating internship in New Jersey.
[APPLAUSE]
Brian Chambers.
[APPLAUSE]
Brian will be joining a small animal practice in Pennsylvania.
[APPLAUSE]
Remington Xavier Chen.
[APPLAUSE]
Remington will be going to AMC in New York to pursue a small animal rotating internship.
[APPLAUSE]
Deborah Chapman.
[APPLAUSE]
Deborah will be doing a small animal rotating internship at the Veterinary Specialty Center of Seattle.
Helen Mingwen Chen.
[APPLAUSE]
Helen will be entering a small animal rotating internship with intent to pursue specialization in either zoo medicine or zoo pathology.
[APPLAUSE]
Angelica Marie Collins.
[APPLAUSE]
Angelica will be joining a small animal general practice in Los Angeles, California.
[APPLAUSE]
Claudia Sophia Cologne Acevedo.
[APPLAUSE]
Claudia will be completing a small animal rotating internship at North Carolina State University.
[APPLAUSE]
Catherine Wilkes Corbett. Catherine will be moving to California, where she will practice small animal emergency medicine.
Jacqueline Cornell.
[APPLAUSE]
Jackie will be completing a small animal rotating internship in Atlanta, Georgia.
[APPLAUSE]
Stephanie Cruz Rincon.
[APPLAUSE]
Stephanie will be joining a small animal general practice in Chicago, Illinois.
[APPLAUSE]
[? Agnieszka ?] [? Miguelina ?] [? Chaia. ?]
[APPLAUSE]
[? Agnieszka ?] will be exploring opportunities in the New York City area.
[APPLAUSE]
Jana Cassie Devico.
[APPLAUSE]
Jana will be completing a small animal rotating internship at Ocean State Veterinary Specialists in Rhode Island.
[APPLAUSE]
First row may sit down. Second row please stand.
Summer Doherty.
[APPLAUSE]
Sorry. I'm sorry. I think I missed someone. I'm really sorry. Alexandra [INAUDIBLE].
[APPLAUSE]
Alexandra will be joining a small animal urgent care practice in Rochester, New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Laura Donohue.
[APPLAUSE]
Laura will be a small animal rotating intern at the University of Wisconsin.
[APPLAUSE]
Summer Doherty.
[APPLAUSE]
Summer will be working at a small animal practice on Long Island, New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Hope Catherine Dunbar.
[APPLAUSE]
Hope will be joining a small animal general practice in Bellingham, Washington.
[APPLAUSE]
Amy Duong.
[APPLAUSE]
Amy will be joining a small animal practice in California.
[APPLAUSE]
Carolyn Ellis.
[APPLAUSE]
Carolyn will be joining a combined small animal rotating and sports medicine and rehab internship at Colorado State University.
[APPLAUSE]
Zanth Elsayid
[APPLAUSE]
Zanth will be working as an emergency veterinarian and plans to pursue practice ownership in the near future.
[APPLAUSE]
Kristen Danielle [INAUDIBLE].
[APPLAUSE]
Christine will be pursuing a residency in lab animal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
[APPLAUSE]
Arianna Renee Ferraro.
[APPLAUSE]
Arianna will be practicing small animal emergency Medicine in Waltham, Massachusetts.
[APPLAUSE]
Aaron Frederick.
[APPLAUSE]
Aaron will be joining a small animal practice in Cortland, New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Jacqueline Nicolet Fusco.
[APPLAUSE]
Jackie will be completing a small animal rotating internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York City.
[APPLAUSE]
Rebecca Michelle Gill.
[APPLAUSE]
Rebecca will be joining a small animal practice in Putnam, New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Donna Elizabeth Graham.
[APPLAUSE]
Donna will be working at a small animal general practice in the northern Boston area.
[APPLAUSE]
Benjamin Harr.
[APPLAUSE]
Benjamin will be working in a large animal equine practice on Eastern Long Island.
[APPLAUSE]
Natalie Lucille Hyatt.
[APPLAUSE]
Natalie will be joining a small animal practice in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.
[APPLAUSE]
Emily Margaret Hirsch.
[APPLAUSE]
Emily will be completing a rotating internship at the Ontario Veterinary College.
[APPLAUSE]
Kaylee Elizabeth Hopkins.
[APPLAUSE]
Kaylee will be joining a small animal practice in Simpsonville, South Carolina.
[APPLAUSE]
Danielle Hao.
[APPLAUSE]
Danielle will be joining a small animal general practice in North Carolina.
[APPLAUSE]
Emily [INAUDIBLE].
[APPLAUSE]
Emily will be pursuing a small animal rotating internship at the University of Pennsylvania.
[APPLAUSE]
Julia Fay Jacobs.
[APPLAUSE]
Julia will be starting a laboratory animal medicine residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
[APPLAUSE]
Maria Johnson with distinction.
[APPLAUSE]
Maria will be completing a small animal rotating internship at friendship hospital for animals in Washington DC.
[APPLAUSE]
Karuna [INAUDIBLE].
[APPLAUSE]
Karuna will be completing a small animal rotating internship at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington DC.
[APPLAUSE]
Cassandra Elizabeth [? Keyser. ?]
[APPLAUSE]
She is not here in person, but she is joining us remotely. Cassandra will be a lab animal medicine resident at NYU Regeneron in New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Brianne Marie Keane.
[APPLAUSE]
Brianne will be pursuing a small animal rotating internship at Oradell Animal Hospital in New Jersey.
[APPLAUSE]
Lindsey Anne Kerkorian.
[APPLAUSE]
Lindsey is commissioning as a Veterinary Corps Officer in the United States Army and will be stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.
[APPLAUSE]
Lauren Lassiter.
[APPLAUSE]
Lauren will be completing a small animal rotating internship in San Diego with the ultimate goal of pursuing a career in zoo and wildlife Medicine.
[APPLAUSE]
Cheyenne Lee.
[APPLAUSE]
Cheyenne will be joining a small animal practice in New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Stacey Rose Lehman.
[APPLAUSE]
Stacey will be joining her parents at their small animal general practice in Brooklyn, New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Aden Lessiak with distinction. Aden will be joining a mixed animal practice in upstate New York.
[APPLAUSE]
[INAUDIBLE] Lee.
[APPLAUSE]
[INAUDIBLE] will be doing an ambulatory internship at Tufts in Woodstock, Connecticut.
[APPLAUSE]
[? Hennessies ?] Violeta Lopez Bonilla.
[APPLAUSE]
[? Hennessies ?] will be doing a small animal rotating internship at Tufts University in Massachusetts.
[APPLAUSE]
Scarlett Victoria Lutz Bolting.
[APPLAUSE]
Scarlett will be joining the ASPCA in New York City for their small animal rotating internship program.
[APPLAUSE]
Christine Maquery.
[APPLAUSE]
Christine will be doing a small animal general practice at Dongan Hills Veterinary Practice in Staten Island, New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Stephen Ronald [INAUDIBLE].
[APPLAUSE]
Steve will be completing a small animal rotating internship at the University of Florida.
[APPLAUSE]
Heather Marie Magnuson.
[APPLAUSE]
Heather will be working with the Veterinary Emergency Group in Long Island, New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Rachel Lea Martestine.
[APPLAUSE]
Rachel will be pursuing an internship at the Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group in Brooklyn, New York.
Laura Grace Marty.
[APPLAUSE]
Laura will be heading to the Ontario Veterinary College for a one year rotating internship.
[APPLAUSE]
Caitlin McGarvey.
[APPLAUSE]
Caitlin will be joining a mixed animal practice in Cortland, New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Hillary Mary.
[APPLAUSE]
Hilary will be joining a small animal general practice in Baltimore.
[APPLAUSE]
Amanda Michaelson.
[APPLAUSE]
Amanda will be joining a small animal practice in Tampa, Florida.
[APPLAUSE]
Karen Elizabeth [INAUDIBLE].
[APPLAUSE]
Karen will be joining the University of Florida team as a small animal rotating intern.
[APPLAUSE]
Kathryn Louise [INAUDIBLE]
[APPLAUSE]
Katie will be completing a rotating equine internship at Littleton Equine Medical Center in Colorado.
[APPLAUSE]
Aliyah Noel.
[APPLAUSE]
Aliyah will be practicing mixed animal medicine in Southeast Minnesota.
[APPLAUSE]
Charles MacDougall Nystrom.
[APPLAUSE]
Charles will be practicing exotic and mixed animal medicine before starting full time zoo work.
[APPLAUSE]
John Hein Nystrom.
[APPLAUSE]
John will be starting a year long internship at Cornell's ambulatory and production medicine department.
[APPLAUSE]
Tyler Olson.
[APPLAUSE]
Tyler will be joining an ambulatory equine practice in Ithaca, New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Reginald Onyema.
[APPLAUSE]
Reginald will be a broiler breeder vet in Huntsville, Alabama.
[APPLAUSE]
Hannah [? Patta. ?]
[APPLAUSE]
Hannah is planning on working in the public health field in Colorado.
[APPLAUSE]
Anna Marlene Pantine.
[APPLAUSE]
Anna will be joining the accelerated master of public health program here at Cornell while practicing at a local urgent care practice on nights and weekends.
[APPLAUSE]
Matthew Poe.
[APPLAUSE]
Matt will be joining a small animal urgent care practice in Rochester, New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Sandra [? Popa. ?]
[APPLAUSE]
Sandra will be doing a small animal rotating internship at Oradell Animal Hospital in New Jersey.
[APPLAUSE]
Rachel Elizabeth Powers.
[APPLAUSE]
Rachel will be an intern at an equine practice in Connecticut.
[APPLAUSE]
[? Shalini ?] [? Radhakrishnan. ?]
[APPLAUSE]
[? Shalini ?] will be working at a small animal general and urgent care practice in Washington DC.
[APPLAUSE]
Leo [? Rigaso. ?]
[APPLAUSE]
Leo will be completing a small animal rotating internship at the University of Pennsylvania.
[APPLAUSE]
Shannon [INAUDIBLE] Reddy.
[APPLAUSE]
Shannon will be joining the lifelong mentor at a small animal general practice in Westchester, New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Sam Vitale Cristiano [? Rasika. ?]
[APPLAUSE]
Sam will be starting a small animal rotating internship at Angel in Boston, Massachusetts.
[APPLAUSE]
Jayden Ann Robert with distinction.
[APPLAUSE]
Jayden will be joining a small animal practice in San Jose, California.
[APPLAUSE]
Amelia Rogus
[APPLAUSE]
Molly will be working at a large animal practice in Central Wisconsin seeing dairy cattle, small ruminants, and horses.
[APPLAUSE]
Beth Ellen [INAUDIBLE].
[APPLAUSE]
Beth will be serving as a veterinarian in the United States Army at Fort Benning, Georgia.
[APPLAUSE]
Bianca Daniella Respy.
[APPLAUSE]
Bianca will be completing and in-hospital equine internship at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky.
[APPLAUSE]
Daniel Joseph Revolo.
[APPLAUSE]
Daniel will be completing a small animal rotating internship at Oradell Animal Hospital in New Jersey.
[APPLAUSE]
Artemis [INAUDIBLE].
[APPLAUSE]
Artemis will be joining the Lethbridge Animal Clinic in Canada.
[APPLAUSE]
Mariah Ann [INAUDIBLE].
[APPLAUSE]
Mariah will be joining Oradell Animal Hospital as a small animal rotating intern.
[APPLAUSE]
Miranda Emily Eden [INAUDIBLE].
[APPLAUSE]
Miranda will be starting a small animal rotating internship at Ocean State Veterinary Specialists in Rhode Island.
[APPLAUSE]
Richard [? Sidom ?] is not attending, but he will be pursuing a small animal rotating internship in Irvine, California.
[APPLAUSE]
Catherine Lee Slingsted.
[APPLAUSE]
Catherine will be completing a wildlife medicine internship in Washington State.
[APPLAUSE]
Kelsey Sparta.
[APPLAUSE]
Kelsey will be joining a small animal practice in Tampa, Florida.
[APPLAUSE]
Addison [INAUDIBLE] Spitzer.
[APPLAUSE]
Addison will be joining a small animal general practice in urgent care hospital in New York City.
[APPLAUSE]
Daniel William Somerville.
[APPLAUSE]
Daniel will be joining a mixed animal practice in northern New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Lacey Caprice Taylor.
[APPLAUSE]
Lacey will be starting a small animal rotating internship at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington DC.
[APPLAUSE]
Samantha Thomas.
[APPLAUSE]
Sam will be starting her residency in lab animal medicine at Colorado State University.
[APPLAUSE]
Stephanie Choi.
[APPLAUSE]
Stephanie will be participating in a small animal rotating internship in Long Island.
[APPLAUSE]
Emily Louise Tuttle.
[APPLAUSE]
Emily will be practicing equine ambulatory medicine at equine clinic at Oakencroft in Glenmont, New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Monica Mary Valero.
[APPLAUSE]
Monica will be working at Eastern Animal Hospital, which is a small animal general and urgent care practice in Baltimore, Maryland.
[APPLAUSE]
Caroline Carter Warren.
[APPLAUSE]
Caroline will be joining Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital as an ER doctor.
[APPLAUSE]
Julie Watiker.
[APPLAUSE]
Julie will be starting her career as a small animal general practitioner in New York City.
[APPLAUSE]
Lisa Weichert.
[APPLAUSE]
Lisa will be doing a small animal rotating internship near Burlington, Vermont.
[APPLAUSE]
Jacob Michael West.
[APPLAUSE]
Jacob will be working in small animal general practice.
[APPLAUSE]
Marit [? Raur ?] [? Wetstein. ?]
[APPLAUSE]
Marit will be practicing emergency medicine in Boston, Massachusetts.
[APPLAUSE]
Andrew Wong.
[APPLAUSE]
Andrew will be starting a small animal rotating internship in California.
[APPLAUSE]
Abigail Elizabeth Woods.
[APPLAUSE]
Abigail will be completing a small animal rotating internship in Maryland.
[APPLAUSE]
Sarah Catherine Wright.
[APPLAUSE]
Sarah will be joining a mixed animal clinic in the Hudson Valley area of New York.
[APPLAUSE]
Zacharie Wund with distinction.
[APPLAUSE]
Zacharie will be pursuing a small animal rotating internship at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado.
[APPLAUSE]
Joseph Goodhart [INAUDIBLE].
[APPLAUSE]
Joseph will be practicing small animal emergency medicine-- Joseph will be practicing small animal emergency medicine in Charlotte, North Carolina.
[APPLAUSE]
Gillian Elizabeth Yant.
[APPLAUSE]
Gillian will be completing a small animal rotating internship at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington DC.
[APPLAUSE]
Alyssa Zarnock.
[APPLAUSE]
Alyssa will be joining a small animal hospital in Boulder, Colorado.
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Amy Yemen Zhang.
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Amy will be joining a small animal practice in Maryland.
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Nicole Arlene Zitzman.
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Nicole will be completing an equine rotating internship at Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, Connecticut.
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And finally, we have Abigail Zoltec, who is not attending today. But Abby will be joining the University of Pennsylvania for a combined residency and master's degree in animal welfare and behavior.
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Class of 2022 congratulations.
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I would now like to invite the 2022 Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award recipient Dr. Carolyn McDaniel to deliver the charge to the class.
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CAROLYN MCDANIEL: Oh, boy. It's wonderful to be together and to see so many family members, friends, mentors, and faculty members here to celebrate the class of 2022.
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You all have some pretty great seats there. I'm going to get a better look at these brand new veterinarians.
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I love it. They clean up pretty well, don't they? I know they wash their hands. I taught them that.
What do you think class? This is up to you. Should we show everyone the dance.
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OK. Everybody [INAUDIBLE].
[LAUGHTER]
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They still have it. Class of 2022, I am so honored by your invitation to address you today, but honestly watching your growth since I first met you in August 2018 has been the real privilege. Oh, I've been thinking back over the arc of my career and what I might say to you as you begin on yours. My own professional life has been marked by opportunity and change, and I feel fortunate that my education gave me a solid foundation, one strong enough to support me as I migrated from mixed animal practice to small animal practice to feline only practice to teaching.
The journey has been enormously rewarding, and it's brought me here on stage in Bailey Hall with my newest veterinary colleagues. I can't tell you how honored I am to be with you today. At my own graduation, I was so ready to serve animals. Mixed animal practice was my lifelong dream, and I was nervous but excited to treat anything non-human.
What I didn't expect was the joy that I would derive from working with the humans that came along with the animals. As I worked in Mick's Practice in California, completed my internship there, and returned to Pennsylvania to work in small animal practices, a constant was the trust that my clients placed in me and my strong desire to live up to that trust. I was so worried that I wouldn't have all the answers, and believe me, I didn't.
But what I found was that clients cared most, that I was honest, that I was invested in the care of their animals, that I worked hard to find the answers, and that I included them in the process. Collaboration with clients in the service of their animals was a source of great fulfillment, and the trust that they placed in me gave me confidence. It led to professional success, and it enriched my life.
When I opened my own practice, I encountered another challenge. I felt an enormous sense of responsibility to the clients who committed to my practice, and I wanted to ensure the overall standard of care that we provided. I felt confident that I could form a bridge of trust with my clients and patients, but how could I make sure that the veterinarians and staff that I hired would as well?
Over time, I found that relying on those exam room skills, honesty, investing in my employees success, and my willingness to include them in the process of providing excellent veterinary care went a long way. At our best, we all collaborated in the service of people and their animals, and we all shared their respect and gratitude.
Life as a practice owner working with my veterinary colleagues, technicians, and staff was another surprisingly human centric source of professional fulfillment. Truly being a veterinarian is all about animals. And shockingly, it's all about humans too.
I'm going to shift gears now and talk a bit about shifting gears. My veterinary role model growing up was a mixed animal practitioner. I loved working at the practice with my mentor, and I developed a clear and certain vision of myself as a mixed animal practitioner in his image.
My family, my community all saw me through that same lens. I discovered some time in my second year as an associate veterinarian in a mixed practice that my attention was drawn towards specific aspects of my work. It slowly dawned on me that my image of myself as a veterinarian was based more on respect for my mentor and less on my own interests and capabilities.
I started to consider pivoting to a different area of practice and that feeling came with some anxiety. I suffered a kind of identity crisis as I considered others' expectations and my own self-image. I really felt a sense of personal failure and worried what my family, my colleagues would think if I turned away from my long held professional goal.
Looking back, I cannot tell you how happy I am that I decided to listen to myself and follow my interests. I really value the fact that our profession encompasses many areas, as Dr. Warnick mentioned in his comments. It's very broad, and we are broadly trained giving us an enormous breadth of opportunities. My advice to you as you begin your professional careers is to fully embrace the work that you choose, the pathway that you start on.
Revel in it. You may find that it is exactly the right pathway for you for years and years. But also be mindful of what gives you joy, and don't hesitate to pivot towards an unexpected opportunity or interest. Don't hesitate to change gears. What I know now is that my turning towards another area of practice was far from a failure. It was an indication of self-knowledge and growth.
My faculty position at the Veterinary College represents another professional pivot, an opportunity to use my degree in a way that I definitely didn't predict or plan for when I started in clinical practice. And let me tell you, I was initially very intimidated by the thought of teaching veterinary students. DDM students are so bright, so talented, and I worried that I wouldn't have all of the answers.
But once again, I found that relying on those exam room skills provided me with a foundation for success. I found that students care most that I'm honest, that I am invested in their success, that I take their question seriously and work hard to find the answers, and that I bring them along on the journey.
In a funny way, students have become my clients, and the service that I offer is pride and a sense of accomplishment at being a veterinarian, the art and skill of clinical diagnosis, and the importance of attending to both the animal and the human in front of you. The sense of collaboration with students, of collaboration with you as you went through the hard work that it took to get you here to this stage has been one of my greatest joys.
My dear students, now colleagues, thank you for honoring me with the invitation to join you on stage today, but don't imagine that this day ends our collaboration. As you wash your hands in the exam room, the barn, the office, the laboratory, wherever your degree takes you, I'm going to pop into your mind. I'll be there to support your efforts and applaud your successes, of course, but I'll also be there to remind you to attend to everyone in the room human and otherwise, what they need, and how you can help.
As you begin your professional lives, I am really excited to hear about the pathways that you choose, the work that you will do in the service of animals, the collaborations that you'll make with the humans around you, the pivots you may make all in the process of finding the joy of being a veterinarian. Thank you very much.
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LORIN WARNICK: Congratulations, Dr. McDaniel, for this well-deserved award. Thank you for your message this afternoon. That was wonderful. And as you can see, all our students agree that they're lucky to have you teaching in the program at the College of Veterinary Medicine. Thank you for everything you do.
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So several members of the class of 2022 were recognized earlier this week for their excellence in academic and extracurricular activities. The names of the award recipients can be found in your program. Today we have three additional awards, and I would like to invite Associate Dean Jodi Korich to the podium to present those awards.
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JODI KORICH: Our first award is the Horace K. White prize. An endowment for this prize was originally given by Mr. Horace K. White and later his sons of Syracuse, New York for the student with the highest academic record during their veterinary training. This award originally called the president's prize dates back to 1873 and is probably the longest standing prize at Cornell. The original donor was a brother to Andrew Dickson White, the president of the University. This year's award goes to Allison Alana Bichoupan.
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The Malcolm E. Miller Award, in 1965, Ms. Mary Wells Miller Ewing established this award in memory of her husband Dr. Malcolm E. Miller, class of '34, a former professor of anatomy and the head of the department from 1947 to 1960. This award to a fourth year student, who in the judgment of the dean, has demonstrated perseverance, scholastic diligence, and other personal characteristics that will bring credit and contradistinction to the veterinary profession. This year's award goes to Helen Mingwen Chen.
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The Leonard Pearson Veterinary Prize, this award endowed in 1993 is for the fourth year student who most successfully demonstrates the potential for professional and/or academic leadership in veterinary medicine. This year's prize goes to Jayden Ann Robert.
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I would like to take this opportunity to recognize all of our graduates for their extraordinary accomplishments. Through hard work and perseverance, you have acquired a valuable combination of knowledge and skills. And as you navigate what I hope will be a long and rewarding career, I encourage you to explore new opportunities, and don't let self-doubt deter you from trying new things.
When you see something that needs to be fixed, be the person who does the hard work to make the profession better for our patients, our clients, and our coworkers. This weekend we welcome you as our new colleagues in the veterinary profession. We look forward to watching you as you make impactful contributions to the profession just as previous generations of talented and dedicated Cornell veterinarians have always done. Congratulations.
LORIN WARNICK: Thank you, and thanks, Dr. Korich, and congratulations to all the award recipients this year. So next, we want to recognize a group of individuals that are very important in our program. The interns and residents provide clinical service. They are involved in teaching and just an integral part of the success here at Cornell.
MEG THOMPSON: And so I'd like to invite Dr. Meg Thompson to come forward. She's associate dean for hospital operations and a board certified radiologists. And Dr. McDaniel will come forward to present the certificates. Thank you.
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So first thing I want to do is I want to bid goodbye to our curbside generation. Hopefully, none of us will be doing-- we'll take the good parts of curbside and leave the rest of it behind. I want to thank our group of interns and residents that are finishing this year and that are still here, as well as this group of students and a year before them, from their many pivots. It was very appropriate that Dr. McDaniel acknowledged pivots, because this group learned workflow after workflow after workflow. And our interns and residents, many-- a couple that are up here actually, did emergency work, did urgent care work, did other-- provided their general veterinary skills to the hospital and to our community during COVID. So I want to thank this group.
I'm going to go ahead and recognize the small group of them that are able to come today. So you guys want to stand up? Thank you.
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So first we have Dr. Molly [? Bechold. ?]
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Molly is a small--
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Molly is a small animal internal medicine resident. She graduated from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2003, and we're very lucky, because she's staying with us at Cornell.
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She's staying as a lecturer and teacher in the Department of Clinical Sciences and in the Small Animal Internal Medicine Group. So thank you, Molly, for saying.
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Next, we have Dr. Mandy Craven.
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Mandy is one of our large animal internal medicine residents. She graduated with her DVM in 2019 from the University of Wisconsin. She'll be going into equine and small ruminant private referral practice after completing her residency. Thank you, Mandy.
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Next, we have Dr. Zoe Mack.
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One of our anatomic pathology residents, she has a focus in zoo and wildlife pathology, graduated not surprisingly from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, and will enter a pathology fellowship position with the Wildlife Conservation Society following her residency.
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Dr. Ella Pittman. Dr. Pittman--
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Dr. Pittman won one of our resident of the year awards. Thank you, class. So she is a resident in anesthesiology and pain management. She graduated from Cornell in 2018, and she'll be heading to the anesthesia department at Port City Veterinary Referral Hospital in Port City, New Hampshire.
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Next, we have Dr. Brittany Schlesener.
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Brittany is one of our comparative ophthalmology residents. She graduated summa cum laude from Texas A&M with her DVM in 2017, and she will be starting an ophthalmology service at the Fetch Specialty and Cancer Veterinary Center in Brandon, Florida following her residency. Thank you, Brittany.
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Next, we have Dr. Nicholas Fetter. Dr. Fetter is one of our anatomic pathology residents. He graduated with his DVM in 2019 from Michigan State University. He will be specializing in toxicologic pathology in the biomedical industry after completing his residency. Thank you.
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Finally, we have Dr. Thomas Westermann.
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Dr. Westermann is one of our anatomic pathology residents graduated from the School of Veterinary Medicine at Adelaide University in South Australia with his DVM in 2015. It will be a toxicological pathologist at Charles River Laboratories in Massachusetts following his residency. Thank you.
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Please join me in recognizing the service and accomplishment of all of our finishing residents and interns. Thank you.
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LORIN WARNICK: Thank you, Dr. Thompson. And thanks to all of our house officers who are recognized today and those who couldn't join us. I appreciate all they've done for the college.
As we come to the close of our program, I, again, want to thank our graduates for all their contributions to the college. And I hope this wonderful milestone today is one that all of you remember fondly for years to come. One of the great things at the ceremony is as the graduates come up to see their connections to members of the audience who are here supporting them, and I know none of us achieves success on our own. And I would like to invite the class to recognize with a round of applause all the friends, supporters, family members who have made this possible for them.
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Thank you. So after this ceremony, we'll ask that everybody in the audience just remain seated while the class and the house officers exit, and then there will be a reception up at the Veterinary College in the atrium. And we look forward to seeing you there.
But before that, I want to invite the faculty to join us on stage and the members of the veterinary school acapella group Ultrasound to lead the assembly in singing the Cornell Alma Mater. So faculty if you'll join us.
Far above Cayuga's waters with its waves of blue stands our noble alma mater, glorious to view.
Lift the chorus. Speed it onward. Loud her praises tell. Hail to thee our alma mater. Hail, all hail, Cornell.
Far above the busy humming of the bustling town. Reared against the arch of heaven, look she proudly down.
Lift the chorus. Speed it onward. Loud her praises tell. Hail to thee our alma mater. Hail, all hail, Cornell.
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[MUSIC PLAYING]
Department of Veterinary Medicine Class of 2022 Hooding Ceremony
