The indominable spirit of DVM candidate, Kelsie Gerber

“The most successful people see adversity not as a stumbling block, but as a stepping-stone to greatness.” – Shawn Anchor

Merck Animal Health and the AVMF are dedicated to excellence in education (as evidenced by the stringent criteria for scholarship consideration). Kelsie Gerber not only meets academic and leadership ideals, but she does so despite adversities most will never experience in their lifetime, much less in just their early adulthood.

At the time of her application in 2022, Kelsie shared, “My vet school journey has been about as ‘non-traditional’ as they come—a second career, hurricanes, a spinal cord injury, global pandemic, and cancer. I am now in my third year at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, preparing to start clinical rotations this spring. Even with my spinal cord injury and obvious physical limitations, my career aspirations have remained the same.”

Kelsie plans to become a small animal general veterinary practitioner upon graduation in 2024. She also plans to adjust her practice surroundings to accommodate the unique, specific, and continually changing needs stemming from her physical challenges.

We are proud to support great minds like Kelsie’s, that are already planning to make a difference in the world. Want more inspiration? Check out the full roster of Merck Animal Health scholarship recipients.

AVMF aims to help as many veterinary medicine and veterinary technician students reach their career goals as possible. If you want to join our efforts, you can choose to direct your tax-deductible gift to support scholarships. Just select “Education” when completing the gift form.