Senior animal science major Nabilah Curtis is on her way to veterinary school after graduation and has been accepted to two programs including the University of Georgia.
After learning about Berry from her high school English teacher (a Berry alum), she visited campus. The dairy unit—and watching a sheep give birth—helped her realize that only at Berry would she get that same experience on a regular basis.
Animal units, which at other colleges are typically run by staff members, are operated almost entirely by students at Berry. Nabilah was able to dive in and get hands-on experience as early as two weeks into her college career. She came with the intention of working in small animal medicine, but at Berry she realized there were other possibilities for veterinary work.
She didn’t just get field experience working with animals—she has been able to get lab experience as well. Recently, she’s researched how to encourage faster growth rates in sheep using the amino acid citrulline. Even though she plans to focus on veterinary practice over academic research, her experience has helped her be more competitive in vet school applications.
In addition to getting field experience at Berry, Nabilah has also been able to volunteer off campus at the ECO Center in Rome (working with exotic animals) and work at Mount Berry Animal Hospital (with small animals). Working in the Rome community has shown Nabilah a variety of socioeconomic situations and inspired her to work with lower-income communities in the future.
“I would really like to provide veterinary services in high-need communities,” Nabilah says. “I want to go into those communities and make some kind of impact…I think it’s important for lower income households to still be able to have the joy of a pet and have access to the means to care for them.”
Through her time at Berry, Nabilah has already learned nearly all the skills she needs to be a full-time veterinary tech, which has prepared her tremendously for vet school.
staff writer
