After my time in the Veterinary Scholars Program ended, my summer veterinary adventures didn’t stop. I traveled 8 miles off the coast of Cancun to a little island in the Mexican Caribbean called Isla Mujeres. It is only 4.3 miles long and about half a mile wide and surrounded by the most beautiful turquoise waters and coral reefs.

I discovered Isla Mujeres 10 years ago when my Spanish professor in college told me about an opportunity to teach English there. I applied to the organization and moved to Mexico by myself right after I graduated! I earned my Teaching English as a Second Language certificate in the public primary school system on the island then became the Director of English Education for the organization.

In my free time on the island, I learned how to scuba dive, swam with whale sharks and volunteered with a local animal rescue realizing how I could use my Spanish and love for animals to make a difference. I even rescued two island dogs of my own, Kai and Maya.

The beauty of the island isn’t the only thing that keeps me coming back every year. It is the community of Isla Mujeres as well. Friendly, welcoming locals and many foreign residents from all over the world live there. I have become close friends with people from Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Israel, England, France, Netherlands, Canada, Germany. Exposure to different cultures and new experiences at a young age was and continues to be incredible!

During my trip this summer, I volunteered at a local low-cost animal clinic called Clinica Veterinaria de Isla Mujeres. It is run by a local vet, Dr. Delfino, who has been caring for the animals of the island for over 30 years. The clinic is supported by a nonprofit called HALO (Helping Animals Living Overseas). I assist with appointments, surgeries, home visits and rescue missions using my Spanish to help translate and learn new vocabulary in the veterinary setting. Throughout the year, I gathered donations from the animal clinic I worked for prior to vet school and brought those down to the clinic. I also raised over $400 the week before I left for my trip to buy supplies with Dr. Delfino while I was on the island.

On the last day, I was grateful to have the opportunity to assist with a free spay and neuter clinic with another rescue called Isla Animals. We were able to sterilize 25 animals in less than 5 hours for the community of Isla Mujeres. They have a larger rescue mission in Cancun called Oasis, which I hope to work with next summer. They organize huge clinics sterilizing over 100 animals in a weekend!

I greatly value the exposure to medicine in these environments not only for helping me become a well-rounded, resourceful veterinarian, but also for the opportunity to speak veterinary Spanish. I’m embarking on my second and final year in earning my graduate Spanish for Veterinarians certificate through Colorado State University Graduate School Online.

Outside of vet med, I love spending time in the ocean. I am an advanced scuba diver and love diving with sharks! Isla Mujeres is one place you can find whale sharks during the summer months. I was lucky enough to spend a day out on the water swimming with them and even saw a manta ray.

I am feeling happy, exhausted and inspired after this summer, but looking forward to starting my second year of veterinary school Monday. Thank you for following along with my adventures this summer!

Dispatch 3: July 9 2026

The Southeast was our final destination for dairy farm focus groups. The weather in Florida and Georgia felt surprisingly familiar with heat and humidity (not too different from North Carolina!), and thankfully we managed to avoid any encounters with the gators! 

One of my favorite parts of the trip was driving beneath the towering oak trees draped in Spanish moss — it was such a beautiful and uniquely Southern landscape. We also enjoyed spending time in Gainesville, where we found some great food and spent our evenings watching the World Cup matches.

During this trip, I found myself reflecting on what an incredible experience this project has been. Throughout the summer, we traveled to five states and sat down with about 100 dairy workers representing eight countries. It was incredibly rewarding to hear their stories, learn about their day-to-day experiences and better understand the challenges they face while caring for dairy cattle.

One of the most meaningful parts of this project for me was having the opportunity to speak Spanish every day. Many participants were excited to contribute to our study and generously shared both their knowledge and their personal experiences. I also enjoyed sharing my own journey as a nontraditional veterinary student. Those conversations reminded me how important communication and trust are in veterinary medicine and how much can be accomplished simply by meeting people where they are.

Coming into this summer with no research experience, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn about the research side of veterinary medicine while continuing to expand my knowledge of dairy medicine and the dairy industry as a whole. I’ve always believed that becoming a well-rounded individual means saying yes to opportunities outside of your comfort zone — a belief that continues into vet school with the aspiration of becoming a well-rounded veterinarian.

Veterinary medicine offers countless paths, and every new experience adds another perspective that ultimately makes us better clinicians, educators and advocates. While our study focused on communication and antimicrobial stewardship among dairy workers, it also highlighted the tremendous opportunity we have to strengthen relationships between veterinarians, producers and the people who care for these animals every day. This work is only the tip of the iceberg in addressing communication and education gaps within the dairy industry.

Although this marks the end of my summer research travels, the adventure isn’t quite over yet. After the Veterinary Scholars Program comes to an end, I’ll be heading back to Isla Mujeres, a small island in the Mexican Caribbean where I lived for a few years after graduating college. This trip will be full of volunteering at a small animal clinic, scuba diving (my other love in life, besides vet med!) and beach time with my best friends. 

Thank you for following along and stay tuned for one final dispatch of the summer!

Dispatch 2: June 29, 2026

After our first research trip to California, Dr. Blanca Camacho and I conducted the next week of focus groups in New Mexico and Texas — two states that offered different landscapes, different types of dairy barns and much larger herd sizes! From the moment we arrived and started driving through the wide open spaces, I could tell this was a region with more cows than people. The largest dairy we visited milks about 8,000 cows each day! 

New Mexico is known as the “Land of Enchantment” and the “Chile Capital of the World.” It certainly lived up to its names. We admired vintage turquoise in antique shops, and I personally enjoyed experiencing a landscape unlike anywhere I have visited before. Crossing into Texas brought endless fields of towering wind turbines stretching across the horizon.

Our travels took us through several towns in Texas, including a small one named Earth, to the Beef Capital of the World, Hereford, and even up near the top of the Texas Panhandle. We traveled more than 800 miles to talk with focus groups of dairy workers from five dairies across the region about their knowledge of antibiotic use. Along the way, there was no shortage of incredible Mexican food, which quickly became a highlight of the trip.

Beyond the travel itself, this portion of the project was especially exciting because I began recognizing patterns and recurring themes emerging from our focus groups. Seeing those trends develop from the two trips made our research goals feel tangible and reinforced the value of hearing directly from those who manage the care of our dairy cattle every day. I also enjoyed learning how different dairy systems adapt to the unique environments in which they operate. I am very grateful to Dr. Derek Foster and Dr. Camacho for the opportunity to participate in this groundbreaking project. 

Each stop continues to provide new insights, and I am looking forward to seeing how these observations compare with what we learn on the next and final trip to Florida and Georgia.

Seeing those trends develop from the two trips made our research goals feel tangible and reinforced the value of hearing directly from those who manage the care of our dairy cattle every day. 

First dispatch: June 9, 2026

Step one of my exciting summer research experience was traveling nearly 2,500 miles from NC State in Raleigh to California’s northern San Joaquin Valley.

Over the week, we visited four dairy farms and conducted six focus groups with dairy workers in one of the most agriculturally productive regions in the world. The valley grows more than 350 commercial crops and produces a significant share of the nation’s fruits, nuts, vegetables and dairy products. The primary county we visited is the second-largest dairy-producing county in California and home to more than 500,000 dairy cows and calves.

Production on this scale depends on an enormous number of workers, many of whom are Spanish-speaking. Alongside Dr. Blanca Camacho, a Ph.D. student in the Foster Lab at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, I was able to sit down with dairy workers and learn about their experiences working with cattle and their understanding of antimicrobial use on dairy farms. These conversations are the foundation of our research and provide valuable insight into the perspectives of the individuals who care for these animals every day.

Before veterinary school, I earned a degree in Spanish with minors in Latin American Studies and Anthropology from Sweet Briar College in 2016. Although my path to veterinary medicine was not a traditional one, being a part of this project reminds me how meaningful it is to be able to combine my passion for language, education and animal health into one experience.

Applying concepts I learned over the past year at the CVM and in my Spanish for Veterinarians certificate program through Colorado State University Graduate School Online has been awesome. Bridging communication barriers and improving access to veterinary knowledge are things I hope to continue throughout my career. 

Coming from a background in equine and small animal medicine, I have enjoyed immersing myself in the dairy industry and expanding my understanding of food animal production. Throughout this trip, I continued learning from Dr. Camacho and one of her former colleagues, Dr. Eduardo Barros de Olivera, both highly experienced specialists in large animal internal medicine and dairy production. Their mentorship and expertise have given me context to understand the complexities within modern dairy medicine and the important role veterinarians play in supporting both animal health and the people who care for these animals every day.

Outside of conducting research, I was fortunate to explore a new state, speak Spanish every day, meet incredible people and enjoy some amazing food. Travel has always been one of my favorite ways to learn and one of the things I have missed most while being immersed in veterinary school. There is something special about stepping outside of your daily routine and experiencing a new place through its people, culture, landscapes and food.

One of the highlights of the trip was visiting Sequoia National Park and seeing some of the largest trees in the world. Pictures simply do not do them justice. Standing beneath trees that have been alive for thousands of years was both humbling and awe-inspiring, and it reminded me how much there is to learn from the places we visit and the people we meet along the way. 

This project will take us to New Mexico, Texas, Florida and Georgia, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from producers and farm workers across the country. I am especially excited to see how different regions compare — from the people and cultures to the management styles and challenges faced by dairy operations.

Experiences like this reinforce my passion for pursuing veterinary medicine, educating our neighbors and serving diverse communities.