39 Receive 2020 Annable Scholarships

This academic year, 39 students from the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine have been selected as Annable Scholars. Each receives a scholarship that covers up to half of tuition and fees. Recipients are chosen on the basis of need, as well as a demonstrated commitment to community service. Last year, 33 students were awarded the scholarship. 

The Michele M. and Ross M. Annable Scholarship Endowment is a result of a $5 million gift from the Annables in 2016 and has been matched by $5 million from the Randall B. Terry Charitable Foundation.

Here is the list of this year’s Annable Scholars:

Class of 2021

• Mallory Brown

Hometown: Tucson, Ariz.

Career goal: Complete a lab animal medicine residency and become board certified. Promote the One Health concept at research institutions.

• Chris Gaudette

Hometown: Kanab, Utah

Career goal: Diagnostic pathologist with a focus on disease prevention in populations of animals.

• Dylan Harver

Hometown: Carrboro

Career goal: Veterinary medical education researcher and professor.

• Elisa Meier

Hometown: Ann Arbor, Mich.

Career goal: Specialist and clinical faculty member at a veterinary school, teaching and mentoring the next generations of veterinarians.

• Caitlyn Mullins

Hometown: Beavercreek, Ohio

Career goal: Interested in a cattle practice, either domestic or abroad. Interested in pursuing animal welfare policy.

• Irina Perdew

Hometown: Morrisville

Career goal: Fully develop and launch an original equine medical device shortly after graduation and to get board certified in neurology or animal behavior.

• Valerie Nelson

Hometown: Apex

Career goal: A small animal rotating internship, a residence in emergency and critical care, and ultimately work in a university teaching hospital.

• Amanda Sautner

Hometown: Warrington, Pa.

Career goal: Opening my own mobile small animal in-home hospice and euthanasia practice.

• Shawna Varichak

Hometown: Hibbing, Minn.

Career goal: To become a small animal practitioner in either general practice, emergency medicine or shelter medicine.

• Anne White

Hometown: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

Career goal: Specializing in exotics or small animal internal medicine.

Class of 2022

• Caroline Balch

Hometown: Fayetteville

Career goal: Working in a wildlife rehabilitation center, combining personal passions for medicine and conservation.

• Tahj Boston

Hometown: Wilmington, Del.

Career Goal: Clinical pathologist in either academia, diagnostics or global health work. Also, to work closely with historically black colleges and universities to advance diversity in veterinary medicine by preparing undergraduate students for the application process and providing valuable experience prior to application.

• Paola Cruz Ramos

Hometown: Guayama, Puerto Rico

Career goal: Working in general practice as a small animal vet and encouraging fear-free techniques, and continue helping stray animals and animal shelters by promoting adoption and volunteering at free spay/neuter clinics.

• Brittany Dash

Hometown: Miramar, Fla.

Career goal: Small animal veterinarian in a large, multi-doctor practice.

• Samantha Frosch

Hometown: Bohemia, N.Y.

Career Goal: Mixed animal medicine. Completing a residency in either small animal internal medicine or equine soft tissue surgery and eventually going into academia as a clinical professor at a veterinary school.

• Alex Grobman

Hometown: Weston, Fla.

Career Goal: Equine clinician with a specialty in orthopedic or ophthalmic medicine.

• Amy Le Blanc

Hometown: St. Charles, Ill.

Career goal: To work in a small animal clinic that also sees exotic pets and assists with wildlife rehabilitation.

• Avnee Mistry

Hometown: Naples, Fla.

Career Goal: Veterinary global health.

• Aya Omar

Hometown: Crestwood, Ky.

Career goal: International medicine and One Health work, either training other clinicians or managing nonprofits. Also interested in either small animal or equine emergency medicine.

• Allyson Patterson

Hometown: Burlington

Career goal: Ruminant medicine with a special interest in advanced reproductive techniques.

• Meghan Rutowski

Hometown: Waxhaw, N.C.

Career goal: To work in general practice using less traditional therapies, including acupuncture and canine rehabilitation techniques, and a focus on socialization of puppies and kittens to ensure more positive veterinary experiences for clients and patients.

• Tala Woodward

Hometown: Seattle

Career goal: Small and exotic, possibly aquatic, animal medicine.

• Samantha Zurlinden

Hometown: Denver

Career goal:Behavioral and shelter medicine.

Class of 2023

• Julia Carlin

Hometown: Wellington, Fla.

Career goal: To open a mixed-animal practice and become a board-certified specialist.

• Daiannete Lopez

Hometown: Isabel, Puerto Rico

Career goal: Small animal and exotic veterinarian working in shelter medicine with a focus on helping those animals and clients in need of affordable health care.

• Alexis Roach

Hometown: Dover, Del.

Career goal: To enter a residency program to gain board certification in laboratory animal medicine and work for either a research facility or in academia.

• Sarah Scott-Cruz

Hometown: Hendersonville, N.C.

Career goal: Wildlife veterinarian working with conservation medicine.

• Sidney Smith

Hometown: Kings Mountain, N.C.

Career goal: To work for an institution or university as a laboratory animal veterinarian who also conducts independent research, preferably focusing on disease management or reproductive physiology.

• Kyra Thornton

Hometown: Tallahassee, Fla.

Career goal: To provide comprehensive care to patients and increase owner education to impact the welfare of animals within the clinical setting and beyond.

Class of 2024

• Jaime Calcagno

Hometown: Cary

Career Goal: Zoological and exotic animal medicine.

• Kinnidy Coley

Hometown: Raleigh

Career Goal: Aiding in international development; practicing mixed animal medicine.

• James Constantino

Hometown: Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Career Goal: Working in a general practice specializing in exotic animals.

• Raena Eldridge

Hometown: Fate, Texas

Career Goal: To be a companion animal veterinarian.

• Gabriela Gonzalez

Hometown: Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Career Goal: Wildlife veterinary medicine.

• Bryanna Meredith

Hometown: Camden, Ala.

Career Goal: Laboratory animal medicine.

• Emily Moore

Hometown: Winston-Salem

Career Goal: Commercial poultry medicine, shelter medicine or wildlife medicine

• Kathryn Uribe

Hometown: Lewisville, N.C.

Career Goal: To work in wildlife and exotic animal veterinary medicine with an emphasis on conservation.

• Raisa Velez Contreras

Hometown: San Juan, Puerto Rico

Career Goal: To open a veterinary clinic in Puerto Rico assisting underserved people.

• Amy Ward

Hometown: Williamston, N.C.

Career Goal: Providing small animal veterinary medicine in eastern North Carolina.