The NC State College of Veterinary Medicine community gathered Thursday night to celebrate outstanding student achievements with dozens of awards announced during the event at Talley Student Union. 

Dr. Greg Lewbart, professor of Aquatic Animal Medicine, was the master of ceremonies. Another awards event for staff, faculty and house officers will be held April 27. 

Students chose Dr. Jody Gookin, a professor of small animal internal medicine, to give the night’s address.

“For as long as I have been doing this whole faculty veterinary thing, for every day that I could get lost in feeling ordinary and mundane compared to the accomplishments of other people, for every failure or mistake that my mind tries to relitigate, I am jolted back to reality when I am humbly reminded of the cumulative impact of the seemingly tiniest moments that matter,” Gookin said. “When a student feels comfortable enough to ask me again about something they don’t understand. When a technician finds me approachable and safe enough to advocate for their patient, when I can help the team find a path forward on a seemingly impossible day where literally everything is going on.”

She recalled talking to a former graduate who made a big diagnosis because she explained something in an understandable way one time in a hallway, conversation.

“Your professional and personal lives will be filled with a constant rate of infusion of opportunities for greatness and all that starts right now,” she said. “Keep your eyes open and at the ground level so that you don’t miss out on them. Celebrate the tiny moments as they are presented to you, and have the courage to tell others about their impact on you. You will be great veterinarians. You will be great leaders in your community. You can, in fact, quite easily, change the world.”

Here is a list of awards and winners:

• N.C. Veterinary Medical Association Distinguished Scholar Award (to the fourth-year student with the highest GPA): Mara Ramos Cabrera
• Joseph L. Grimes Leadership Award: Aslin Almeda-Castro
• Friends of NCVMA Foundation Scholarships: Fourth-year student Max Seda and third-year student Aniya Brown
• Jim & Mollie Rasor Leadership Scholarship Award: Kaitlyn Forrest
• ACVS Small Animal Surgery Award: Meg Mulder
• Donald R. Howard Award for Surgical Excellence: Max Seda
• ACVO Ophthalmology Senior Student Award: Max Seda
• NCSU Ophthalmology Award: Faith Church
• ACVIM Clinical Excellence in Small Animal Internal Medicine Awards: Ly Le, Melissa Reel-Quick
• DOCS Companion Animal Faculty Clinical Proficiency Awards: Alex Bertone, Emily Lentz, Cora Brown, Blake Jarratt

• MBS Excellence in Anesthesia Clinical Proficiency Awards: Michelle Mayakis, Meg Mulder
• North American Veterinary Anesthesia Society (NAVAS) Student Anesthesia Award: Cora Brown
• R.C. Dillman Award for Excellence in Anatomical & Clinical Pathology: Lauren Hirsch
• ACVP Excellence Award: Anya Owens
• ACVR Excellence in Clinical Radiology Award: Lira Bouthsarath
• NCSU Excellence in Diagnostic Imaging Clinical Proficiency Award: Lauren Dyer in radiology and Hannah Dion in ultrasound
• AAHA Award for Proficiency in Primary Care: Cora Brown
• Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Cardiology Award: Alex Bertone
• Bob Rosenthal Oncology Senior Student Award: Hannah Dion
• Feline Veterinary Medical Association Senior Student Award: Suzie Schoolfield
• VECCS Award for Proficiency in Emergency & Critical Care: Emily Lentz
• Merck Excellence in Dermatology Awards: Emily Lentz, Kenza Araba
• US Public Health Service – Excellence in Public Health Award: Ashlan Jolley
• Dr. Robert Agne Memorial Equine Award: Betsy Rizzo
• Mat Gerard Award for Excellence in Equine Dentistry: Hannah King
• DOCS Large Animal Clinical Proficiency Awards: Rachel Gagliardi, Faith Church 
• Foundation Equine Clinic Excellence in Equine Primary Care Award: Avery Byrd
• ACVS Large Animal Surgery Award: Mara Ramos Cabrera
• Equine Health Program Special Focus Award – Internal Medicine: Hannah King

• Theriogenology Clinical Proficiency Award: Ally Elliott
• Population Health & Pathobiology Small Ruminant Clinical Proficiency Award: Aden Rouse
• Population Health & Pathobiology Bovine Clinical Proficiency Award: Julio Mojica Perez
• ACVIM Clinical Excellence in Large Animal Internal Medicine Award: Maddie Kuwada
• Population Health & Pathobiology Award for Excellence in Bovine Preventative Medicine: David Cox
• Hanns-Dieter Alhusen Swine Proficiency Awards: Bri McAleese, Sarah Roach
• Population Health & Pathobiology Faculty Poultry Proficiency Award: Je’Juan Bryant
• Award for Excellence in Veterinary Behavior: Courtney Rowe
• Clinical Proficiency in Wildlife, Aquatic, Avian & Zoological Medicine: Natasha Serrano in Aquatic Animal Medicine, Melissa Pineda-Perez in Avian Medicine, Emma Eldridge in Zoological Medicine, Nicole D’Avignon in Companion Zoological Medicine, Jess Kern in Conservation Medicine, Stephen Xiao in Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Sean Hubbard Proficiency in Wildlife Medicine. 
• The David Woodward Memorial Award for Excellence in Reptile Medicine and Conservation: Cathy Delano
• Joel Kirk Budd Jr. Award for Companion Animal Diagnostics: Meg Mulder
• SAVMA OnePack Awards: Erin Perry, Aniya Brown

• Sarah Watson Brown Award (given to a senior who exemplifies devotion to patient care, the success of colleagues and respect for both the Veterinary Hospital staff and our veterinary program and selected by the graduating class): Meg Mulder
• Class of 2026 CVM Awards: Dr. Christine Shumka, faculty award; Dr. Nicholas Wheeler, best small animal house officer; and Dr. Siena Mitman, best large animal house officer.
• Phyllis Edwards Service Award (given to a CVM staff member who has supported students in an exemplary fashion): Rachel Stern
• Zoetis Distinguished Teaching Award (as voted on by the students): Dr. Devorah Stowe