UAZ College of Veterinary Medicine

08/13/2026

🎓 Road to Graduation: Makenna Snodgrass 🎓

Makenna came into vet school set on emergency and critical care, but her clinical year changed everything. "I saw how many urgent cases are brought into GP practices, providing a break from the typical appointments that general practitioners see."

Now she's headed to Lovet White Tanks to begin her career in general practice, right here in the state she calls home. "I was born and raised in Arizona, so I wanted to stay and give back to the community I was raised in."

Before she starts, she's celebrating with a week in California with her boyfriend and two cats!

Read more of Makenna's story by clicking the link below.

https://bit.ly/4ws20TY


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Road to Graduation | Makenna Snodgrass Today From Emergency Room Dreams to General Practice Reality Image As the Class of 2026 nears the finish line, we're continuing our Road to Graduation series with soon-to-be Dr. Makenna Snodgrass, who is heading into general practice with a renewed appreciation...

08/10/2026

🎓 Meet Gamen Huang on her Inspiring ! 🎓

Gamen is a first-generation college student who’s proven that determination and heart can conquer any obstacle. Her positivity and perseverance have brought her to this exciting milestone as she prepares for a pathology residency after her time in general practice in Utah!

Graduation carries a meaning for Gamen that goes well beyond the diploma itself. "Graduating and entering into this profession is meaningful to me on multiple levels. My family gets to see me finally achieve something I've poured so much of myself into, and it's proof to myself that with enough determination and grit, I can make anything happen, regardless of what others want to say or believe."

Want to read more about Gamen’s story and her experience as a first-gen student? Check out the link below.

https://vetmed.arizona.edu/news/road-graduation-gamen-huang?publication=20260810&utm_campaign=UAZ+College+of+Veterinary+Medicine&utm_content=%F0%9F%8E%93+Meet+Gamen+Huang+on+he&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook



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Road to Graduation: Gamen Huang Today How perseverance and persistence shaped this first-generation veterinarian. Image When Gamen Huang set out on her journey toward veterinary medicine, pathology had already claimed her heart. Now, as she prepares to graduate, the first stop in her career is an un...

08/07/2026

🎓 Meet Tabitha Torres, the next VetCat in our Road to Graduation series! 🎓

After graduation, Tabitha is moving back to New England with her husband and their full house of pets: two shepherd mixes, a parrot, a cat, and a leopard gecko, to begin her career as a small-animal and companion-exotics veterinarian. In a wonderful full-circle moment, she's accepted a position at the same southern Massachusetts practice where she worked as a veterinary technician before vet school.

Tabitha credits her time at the University of Arizona with deepening her passion for client education and the human-animal bond: "I love building relationships with clients and helping them better understand their pets' health while strengthening the human-animal bond through communication, trust, and partnership."

Read her full story, including her advice for first-year students, linked below! 👇

Road to Graduation: Tabitha Torres Today A Full-Circle Journey Back to New England Image As the Class of 2026 nears graduation, we're celebrating the journeys of our soon-to-be doctors. Tabitha Torres, who plans to return to New England to begin her career as a veterinarian specializing in small ani...

08/04/2026

🎓 It's a countdown to August 20, and we're back to hitting the with our next graduate, Natasha Radic! 🎓

From working with endangered wolves to intubating a jaguar, Natasha's clinical year took her from zoos to wildlife rehab centers to the ER, giving her a front-row seat to many paths a DVM degree can open.

"Every path is so unique... I really look forward to my not-so-straightforward path as I begin my career as a professional."

The next stop on Natasha's career path is a rotating small-animal internship at Pieper Memorial in Connecticut following graduation.

Read more about Natasha's journey by clicking the link below.

https://vetmed.arizona.edu/news/road-graduation-natasha-radic?publication=20260804&utm_campaign=UAZ+College+of+Veterinary+Medicine&utm_content=%F0%9F%8E%93+It%27s+a+countdown+to+Au&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

Road to Graduation: Natasha Radic Today Embracing unconventional paths toward specialization in veterinary medicine. Image For Natasha Radic, the path to veterinary medicine has never been a straight line, yet she wouldn't want it any other way. Always drawn to diverse challenges and experiences, Na...

08/01/2026

And just like that, they’re ready for clinical year. Next stop, graduation!

08/01/2026

Today, we are proud to recognize our third-year students as they receive their white coats and prepare to start their clinical year training.

The white coat ceremony marks a significant milestone, highlighting their commitment to patient care, integrity, and compassion. For those unable to attend in person, we invite you to join the celebration online and support our students as they embark on this next phase of their education.

https://www.youtube.com/live/m8RztKQ9K9E

07/31/2026

Our final VSSRP student spotlight is Nicholi Brown! This summer, Nicholi dove into the fascinating world of dominance behavior in non-human primates, building on his research experiences and learning from a fresh perspective. After a summer of hard work, he's looking forward to the Veterinary Summer Symposium, where he'll share his discoveries with fellow students this August.

Nicholi's love for veterinary medicine has already taken him around the world, from helping rescued elephants in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to exploring new possibilities in animal care. We can't wait to see all the amazing things Nicholi will accomplish next in his veterinary career.



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07/30/2026

Our next featured Veterinary Summer Scholars Research Program student is Jacklyne Rachael Volpe!

Jacklyne is working alongside Dr. Kerri Rodriguez in the Human-Animal Bond Lab, where she’s helping explore how therapy dogs in police departments can improve officers’ job satisfaction. Her passion for canine cognition is what first attracted her to this program.

As a proud member of a Search and Rescue K9 team, Jacklyne’s love for working dogs continues to fuel her dream of becoming a veterinarian. From incredible SAR dogs to caring station dogs, her journey highlights the wonderful bond between working K9S and the people they support!

Before diving into her studies, Jacklyne and her own pup are soaking up some well-deserved mountain adventures together.

07/29/2026

Thank you to Christopher DeSimone for the opportunity to share about our incredible college and how we're uniquely positioned in Oro Valley and in Arizona to help meet the professional demand for veterinarians. We're extremely proud of the work we're doing as the state's only accredited public college of veterinary medicine, and we look forward to all we will continue to accomplish.

Big Wednesday! Dan Shearer from the GV news/Nogales International,...