Sydney’s Summer at Cornell

Was it the jungle-themed room I had as a small child? Never Barbies; always stuffed animals. Was it the scrubs my grandmother made me with the embroidered name tag “Sydney, Pet Doctor”? In those scrubs, I wrapped my stuffed animals’ broken limbs and took their vitals. I would even capture my dog, Maxx, and “treat” her. Was it when my mom finally conceded to horse riding lessons? Up to that point, I was in all the “typical” sports, like soccer. They never fit. When I started riding, I found my place, my heart, at the barn. Was it joining 4H? Hippology, horse judging, and horse clinics, all amazing experiences. Was it my summer experiences shadowing Veterinarians, showing me that I enjoy the variety that comes with small animal practice? Or was it attending Auburn University’s Summer Vet Camp, learning the anatomical structure of different animals, administering physical exams, and studying the utilization of PPE and common techniques during surgery?

The concept of helping animals captivated me from a young age, but back then my reasoning was that I simply loved animals. As I got older, my knowledge and appreciation of what veterinarians do has grown tremendously. I have watched and listened to them aid our family pets and the horses at my barn with routine checkups and severe illnesses. The day I truly knew I wanted to be a veterinarian was the day my grandmother’s dog, Sofie, died of liver cancer while I sat stroking her head, feeling helpless. I was mad that I couldn’t do anything to help ease her suffering, and completely set my mind that I was going to be a veterinarian.

Coming from a single parent family, I have learned to embrace uncertainty to some degree so, although I have been sure that my future lay in Veterinary Medicine most of my life, I have taken the time in high school to prepare, explore and position myself so that my dream can be realized. My teachers have ensured that my academic experiences have been challenging and I am proud of the success I have had in the International Baccalaureate Program at Winter Park High School. My grades reflect this as I am currently ranked third in my class of 886 students.

As a junior, l have realized that my future is coming fast and that I had better be ready for what comes next. I applied and was accepted to Cornell University’s High School Summer Program in Equine Practice. Attending this program would be a dream come true and an extraordinary opportunity. Cornell is one of America’s most respected universities, but the price of attending a top tier Summer Program is high so that I am asking for your help to defray some of the expense (program fees and tuition is $6400). My promise to you is that I will give no less than my best so that this remarkable opportunity will be a jump start in aiding me to achieve my goal of helping and healing animals and supporting the humans who love them.