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 memorizing muscle groups, of pushing through days of disappointment and floating on moments of triumph have passed in a blur and brought them to the finish line.

At the annual Oath and Hooding Celebration on Friday, 108 students received their doctoral hoods, took the Veterinarian’s Oath and walked out of Reynolds Coliseum as doctors, the 41st class since NC State graduated its first veterinarians in 1985.

“In the US, approximately 35% of the population has earned a bachelor’s degree and only about 2% hold a doctoral degree,” Dr. Lysa Posner, associate dean of academic and student affairs, told them from the podium. “Hopefully, these statistics not only serve as a point of pride, but also an obligation. Please use your knowledge and skills for the good of animals, for the good of humans, for the good of the communities you live in and for the good of the world.”

The Class of 2026 was the first that Dr. Kathryn Meurs, who became the Randall B. Terry Jr. Dean of the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine in spring 2022, has shepherded through from orientation to oath.

“Your communities and the world need you, and we know you are ready for this, but with that I will remind you to please take care of yourselves and each other,” Meurs told the graduates. “You cannot provide the services your community needs unless you are taking care of your own mental and physical well-being.”

The students chose Dr. Mathew Gerard, professor of anatomy, and Dr. Mariea Ross-Estrada, assistant clinical professor of small animal primary care, to present their doctoral hoods. 

Dr. Joshua Stern, associate dean of research and graduate studies, also conferred 13 master’s and doctorate degrees in Comparative Biomedical Sciences. 

“From cell biology, immunology, neurosciences and infectious diseases to pathology, pharmacology, cardiology and public health, we are proud to send our graduates into the world to solve today’s most pressing health challenges,” Stern said. “Our CBS program is designed to prepare students for competitive careers at academic institutions, government postings, nonprofit agencies and private industry. Graduates, you are joining an elite group of scientists throughout the world.”

The veterinarians of the Class of 2026 came from South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Ohio, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Arizona, California, Florida and Guam to join North Carolina residents, including 25 from Wake County, as first years at the college.

For Oath and Hooding, those students chose Max Seda, who was born in New Jersey but grew up in Huntersville, North Carolina, as their speaker. 

“All the long study sessions crammed into the library, watching the cows, feeling the anxiety inside the theaters, waiting for an exam to start, wishing we could be one of those cows, and developing arthritis in our hands with all the typing we’ve done throughout clinics,” he said. “We conquered everything in front of us, and now here we are.”

Many of the newly minted DVMs also took part in the NC State University commencement at Carter-Finely Stadium on Saturday, receiving handshakes from Chancellor Kevin Howell and later their actual degrees.

As Friday’s Oath and Hooding ceremony closed, Meurs offered the class one last word of wisdom.

“At the end of a long day, do not dwell on the things that did not go well and that you cannot change,” she said. “Trust that you did the best you could in an imperfect world; we know that you did. Find a few minutes every day to reflect on the things that went well, were joyful surprises or unexpected accomplishments — seek those moments of happiness where you can.”