NC State Veterinary Medicine Class of 2025 Receives White Coats at Annual Ceremony

Nicholas Collier had been dreaming about having a white coat with his name stitched on the chest since he was a kid.  

When that moment finally came during the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine’s White Coat Ceremony on Saturday afternoon, Collier chose the high school teacher who helped him fulfill his dream to first drape the crisp white coat over his shoulders.

“She provided a lot of opportunities and knew people who could provide opportunities to get experience,” Collier said of Amy Kidd, his agriculture teacher from Providence Grove High School in Climax, North Carolina. “She also pushed me. Sometimes, you need a little pushing when stuff gets hard.”

It was a special moment of celebrating success that Collier and the rest of the Class of 2025 soaked in Saturday.

The White Coat Ceremony marked a significant milestone for the nearly 100 students, signaling the transition from the three-year pre-clinical portion of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program to the clinical phase, where they will work alongside veterinarians at the NC State Veterinary Hospital for the next year.

“We know that you are ready for this next stage of your journey,” Dr. Kate Meurs, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, told the Class of 2025. “When you take on the white coat, please know that you take on the responsibility of becoming one of the closest advocates for the individual patients, herds, populations, science and team members that you will be working with for the next year. This is a great responsibility, but we know you are ready.”

The Class of 2025 was welcomed into veterinary medicine during the ceremony and received words of encouragement from Dr. Laura Nelson, CVM associate dean and director of Academic Affairs, and Dr. Marguerite Gleason, president of the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association. 

“Clinic [rotations] are going to be different, but I promise you that you are fine, and you will be fine,” Nelson said. “You know more than you could possibly realize and are ready to move to the next and, for many of you, the final stage of your formal education. You got this.”

Students were presented their white coats by a friend, family member or mentor who played a pivotal role in their lives and education. For Kinnidy Coley, who received her white coat from her parents, it was an opportunity to invite her family into the world of veterinary medicine and thank them for their support throughout her education. 

“They made sure I had everything I needed for vet school,” she said. “My mom and I did study hall together because she was studying for her second master’s degree while I was studying for my vet school degree for the first few years. And my dad, for every trip I wanted to go on, every externship I wanted to go to, he was there with me to help me get there, make sure I was all set.”

Shanti Coleman described receiving her coat from her father as a dream come true.

“I’ve been looking forward to that for about a year now,” she said. “I always pictured that when I became a doctor, he would be the person to stand next to me and do that. He’s my best friend and one of the most important people in my life. He’s the reason why I’m here today.”

But the milestone was just one more step toward the ultimate goal of becoming a veterinarian. And the Class of 2025 was already looking ahead to their next challenge: their clinical rotations. 

“I have loved the student part. I love learning and being in a classroom and learning new material, but I’m in this ‘put me in, coach’ moment, and I’m ready to get my hands dirty,” Coleman said. “This feels like the start of the career I’ve been training so much for, and now the training part is over. I get to actually get my hands in there, get off the bench and really start doing it.”