Twenty-seven veterinary students intent on a career in equine medicine have received financial support through the Winnerâs Circle Scholarship Program, co-sponsored by the American Association of Equine Practitionersâ Foundation, Platinum Performance and The Race for Education.
Scholarships for equine medicine students
The Winnerâs Circle Scholarship program provides financial relief for proven student leaders who have pledged their careers to advancing the health of horses.
The Winnerâs Circle scholarships are intended to help ease the financial burden of a veterinary education by offering fourth-year students at each of the AAEPâs 38 full or full-affiliate student chapters an opportunity to earn scholarships ranging from $1,500 to $5,000, depending on the needs of the individual student. Students are selected for scholarships based on their leadership roles and dedication to a future in equine healthcare.
âThe rising cost of veterinary school continues to present challenges to talented students who endeavor to enter the equine veterinary profession,â said Jeff Berk, VMD, chairman of the AAEP Foundation Advisory Council.
âThe Winnerâs Circle Scholarship program provides financial relief for proven student leaders who have pledged their careers to advancing the health of horses. We are grateful to all of our donors and especially thank our partners Platinum Performance and The Race for Education for all their support.â
A total of 12 students received $1,500 scholarships; 15 others received $5,000 scholarships, which included $4,000 in funds from a federal matching grant that The Race for Education received from the Assets for Independence program administered through The Race for Educationâs Federal Grant program.
Only U.S. students attending veterinary school in the U.S. were eligible for awards through the federal matching grant. An additional 17 applicants not selected for Winnerâs Circle scholarships also received $4,000 awards through the federal matching grant.
Since its establishment in 2008, the Winnerâs Circle Scholarship Program has provided $998,500 in scholarships to 255 veterinary students bound for careers in equine medicine. Congratulations to the following 2015 recipients:
- Bronwyn Atkinson, University of Calgary
- Erica Beadle, Texas A&M University
- Denise Branecky, Cornell University
- Holly Brown, University of Wisconsin
- Erin Clarke, University of Saskatchewan
- Megan Crouse, University of Prince Edward Island
- James Everett, University of Tennessee
- Catherine Foreman, University of Illinois
- Emily Fournier, Kansas State University
- Ethan Hefner, North Carolina State University
- Lauren Hughes, Iowa State University
- Katie McHenry, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
- Caroline McKinney, Tufts University
- Kathleen Morriss, Auburn University
- M. Cassandra Shelden, Michigan State University
- Melissa Sim, Purdue University
- Helen Sims, Colorado State University
- Lauren Smanik, Ohio State University
- Christine Sontag, University of Minnesota
- Sara Steward, University of Florida
- Stasia Sullivan, Oklahoma State University
- Gretchen Syburg, Ontario Veterinary College
- Courtleigh Watson, Tuskegee University
- Stephanie White, Washington State University
- Allison Williard, University of Georgia
- Elizabeth Wisner, Royal Veterinary College
- Rene Wrenn, Western University of Health Sciences
For additional information about The Race For Education, visit www.raceforeducation.org or call (859) 252-8648. For more information about Platinum Performance, visit www.platinumperformance.com.
The AAEP Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, was created in 1994 to serve as the charitable arm of the AAEP to improve the welfare of the horse. Additional information about the Foundation is available at www.aaepfoundation.org.