The Future Ferrum Gave Me

by Grant W., Panther Blogger

I have some big news!  After years and years of hard work and dedication, it has all paid off.  I have been accepted into the Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine Class of 2018 at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech!  What a mouthful!  I am so excited and cannot wait to spread my wings and fly into my future career (less of a career and more of a lifelong love).  I plan to specialize in food animal medicine and possibly may be part of the dual degree program (DVM/Ph.D.), but I am waiting to hear back from that program.  Through all of this excitement, I am not the shining start, but instead, I am a mere reflection of those who directed and impacted my path.

Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech

Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine
at Virginia Tech

Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine
at Virginia Tech

Those who have impacted my path make up a massively long list that I could never repay.  First and foremost, my parents, grandparents, and family not only helped bring me into this world but have also given me the tools to succeed.  In the same sense, I owe my success to the many faculty, staff, friends, and mentors in my life -- from my AP Biology teacher Mrs. Tangie Duncan who introduced me to my amazingly directive advisor, Dr. Aylesworth, to Dr. Gazdik who inspired me, to Dr. Grochowski who gave me connections to succeed.

Ferrum College often times receives a bad reputation as a school of dropouts and students who will go nowhere, but many of my classmates/friends and my own successes for the future shout quite the opposite.  Ferrum College possesses a special niche in every person's life that it touches.  The faculty pour their lives into the students, and the students pour themselves into each other.  The Ferrum community not only brings a bright new chapter to life, but also provides the breeding ground for successful futures.  Don't let prestige guide your path, for pride leads us astray, but instead, seek out the hidden benefits.