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‘A Sigh of Relief’: Grateful DVM Students Get Chance to Thank Scholarship Starters

Student Experience

A girl in a coat and red hat sits in a backseat of a car with her younger sister wearing red books and a hat with white trim.

May 13, 2026

A Sister Denied Leads to a Legacy Created and Dreams Supported

Long-time music educator Kathy Backherms could not have composed a better coda to her cherished sister’s life than the magical moment she met NC State veterinary student Isla Farrow. First, the prelude.  Mary Frances Backherms was 8 years older than Kathy and had spent her childhood bandaging stuffed animals, caring for birds, hamsters, guinea pigs,…
Members of the NC State Class of 2026 take the veterinarian's oath as they stand in black gowns and black caps with their right hands raised.

May 11, 2026

‘We Conquered Everything’: 108 New Veterinarians Take on the World

In fall 2022, more than 100 graduates from 41 different academic institutions showed up at first-year veterinary student orientation on the campus of the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, swatting at their nervous anticipation and putting a toe on the starting line. Four years of studying, stressing, surgeries and stitches, of laughing, crying and…
A graphic with two pictures: The first is a picture of 11 veterinary students standing in front of or sitting on a dog statue while one student holds the leash of a brown dog. The second is a picture of Hannah Dion wearing a dark shirt stands in an exam room with a kitten under her chin.

May 8, 2026

Class of 2026: From Nerves to NAVLE, Four Years of Questions Finally Answered

Biting my nails, jumping at every notification, calling my parents and throwing myself into back-to-back overnight shifts just to stay busy — I spent every moment hoping the acceptance email would finally come. But in the quiet moments, the questions crept in.What if I wasn’t good enough?What if everything I had worked for still wasn’t…
A graphic with three pictures: One of Anna Jones wearing a white coat as she stands between her father in a white coat and her mother in a white coat. One picture is of Anna's parents putting her white coat on her at the White Coat Ceremony. The last is a picture of Anna Jones in front of the Capitol in Washington, DC

May 7, 2026

Class of 2026: So Grateful My Parents Made Their Ceiling My Floor

As my classmates and I neared graduation, I contemplated a way that I could best express gratitude to the people who have wholeheartedly dedicated a great deal to my getting to this point. My parents, Charles and Dawn Jones, are veterinarians in Charlotte, and since the beginning, their only desire for me in vet school…

May 6, 2026

Class of 2026: Homesickness, Culture Shock, Then a Purpose Realized

I didn’t always know I wanted to be a veterinarian. Growing up, I was immersed in the arts — I performed in plays, sang in choir and took lessons in singing, dance and guitar. Surrounded by artists in my family, I assumed that was the path my life would take.  Even when I started my…
A graphic with three pictures of Melissa Pineda-Perez. The first is her in burgundy scrubs kneeling beside the huge dog head sculpture on the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine Campus. The second is her in a fancy green dress standing next to her parents, her mother in burgundy and her father wearing her white coat. The third is her conducting surgery on a brown dog outdoors.

May 5, 2026

Class of 2026: Sacrifices of Parents Fuel Every Step Toward American Dream

Whenever I think about how I got to where I am today, I think about my parents. They both came from small, impoverished rural villages in Mexico. They grew up in large families where children were expected to work to help their families. My father attended school only a handful of times throughout his childhood,…
A graphic showing three pictures of Mara Paula Ramos Cabrera. The first she sits on the floor wearing a yellow rain coat while she tends a newborn horse. The second she wears a helmet as she rides on a horse next to a man on a horse on a beach. The third, she wears a jean jacket and a colorful shirt as she stands in front of a fence in a pasture.

May 4, 2026

Class of 2026: The Pressure Dims When You Let Others Shine

It is no secret that I was (and still am) kind of intense. Applying to veterinary school is incredibly competitive, especially as an out-of-state student, and at the time I felt like my entire world was centered on getting in and becoming a veterinarian.  I was constantly pushing myself to do more, be better and…
Dr. Greg Lewbart in green military uniform stands at the lectern

Apr 24, 2026

CVM Celebrates Outstanding Student Achievements at Annual Awards Banquet

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. …
A female student in a white shirt and dark jacket explains her poster to symposium attendees.

Apr 21, 2026

CVM Offers Undergraduate Researchers Chance to Practice, Compete 

For the first time, the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine invited undergraduate participants in its Centennial Biomedical Campus research training program to present their findings in a judged symposium, and three students walked away winners and three with honorable mentions. The event Monday included 19 students offering flash talks and poster presentations on the…
Deans and students making wolfpack signs while smiling at the camera

Apr 20, 2026

‘A Sigh of Relief’: Grateful DVM Students Get Chance to Thank Scholarship Starters

When scores of generous scholarship donors and veterinary students convened for the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine Annual Scholarship Dinner, applause put an exclamation point at the end of the news that 191 NC State veterinary students received $1.8 million in scholarships for the 2025-26 school year. “Our college is coming off four years…