Twenty-seven veterinary students intent on a career in equine medicine have received financial support through the Winner’s Circle Scholarship Program, co-sponsored by the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Foundation, Platinum Performance and The Race for Education.
The Winner’s Circle scholarships are intended to help ease the financial burden of a veterinary education by offering fourth-year students at each of the AAEP’s 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.
“The rising cost of veterinary school continues to present challenges to talented students who endeavor to enter the equine veterinary profession,” said Jeff Berk, VMD, chairman of the AAEP Foundation Advisory Council. “The Winner’s 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.”
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 Education’s 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 Winner’s Circle scholarships also received $4,000 awards through the federal matching grant.
Since its establishment in 2008, the Winner’s 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.
