Annual Scholarship Dinner Brings Together Generous CVM Donors, Grateful Students

The NC State College of Veterinary Medicine celebrated its scholarship donors and the students they’ve supported at a dinner at the McKimmon Center on Tuesday night. 

The evening was an opportunity for college leaders to thank the donors who gave nearly $1.5 million to help 191 veterinary students focus on their studies rather than their finances. It was also a time for donors to connect with some of the students whose lives their generosity has changed.

Fourth-year student Christopher Ponticello, recipient of the Fluffy Speaks Scholarship, and first-year student Brianna Colosi, recipient of the Michael and Betsy Sink Scholarship and Oscar J. Fletcher Food Animal Scholarship, served as guest speakers, sharing their gratitude for the donor support. 

“Although they are at opposite ends of their scholastic journey with us, these students embody the commitment to hard work, innovation and passion that runs through our CVM family,” said Sherry Buckles, associate dean for advancement at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Colosi shared that her path to veterinary school started with her participation in the Future Farmers of America chapter at her high school in Concord, North Carolina. 

“Not only did this allow me to grow as an individual, it allowed me to work hands-on with the school’s barn animals, including various breeds of sheep,” said Colosi, who got her undergraduate degree in animal science at NC State. “I learned how to prep and show both sheep and local dairy cattle at events like the Cabarrus County Fair.”

As an undergraduate, she applied to the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Food Animal Scholars program, which provides top-notch students studying animal or poultry science the resources to pursue their passions.

“Aside from impacting my life, your generosity provides students like me with the opportunity to lessen our financial burden and focus more on our areas of study,” Colosi said. “This continuous support and encouragement not only recognizes the achievements and potential of veterinary students, but also motivates us to work harder to pursue opportunities for continued success. You are investing in our dreams, and for that, I along with my fellow students, are truly grateful.”

Ponticello, who will receive his DVM in May, plans to pursue a specialty in surgery, a path that might have eluded him without the help of scholarships.

“Thanks to the scholarships I have received throughout vet school, I have been able to focus less on my financial situation and more on becoming the best doctor I can be for my future patients,” said Ponticello, a New York native. “But it hasn’t stopped there. Thanks to my scholarships, I’ve had the opportunity to undertake a two-week surgery externship at the University of Tennessee during my clinical year. I would not have had the opportunity to take part in this amazing learning opportunity without scholarship funding. My externship experience solidified my passion for surgery.”

Among the guest speakers were JoAnn and Joel Bacon, who started a foundation that honors their daughter, Charlotte, a Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victim. The Bacon foundation contributes to NC State veterinary scholarships as a means of paying tribute to Charlotte’s desire to be a veterinarian. 

“Our connection starts with a little girl’s dream to become a ‘doggy doctor,’” JoAnn Bacon said during the keynote address. “Our daughter Charlotte’s 18th birthday is in two days. This would be a time of making many decisions. Instead, we carry forward her 6-year-old dream of caring for animals to aspiring vet med students.”

Throughout the evening, donors and students sat among one another, telling their stories and appreciating how everyone is working hard together to move veterinary medicine forward.

“I was sitting on the couch crying about money when I got the email about the scholarship I got,” one student told donor Sandy Alford. “I was like, ‘Oh, what a nice surprise.’ It makes it so much easier to focus on the medicine and not the money.”

Alford and her husband, Jeff, fund a scholarship that’s available to a veterinary student from an economically depressed North Carolina county.

“We come to these dinners every year, and some of these students work three or four jobs,” Jeff Alford said. “Just the determination they have is amazing.”