Announcing our 2024/2025 Diversity Bursary Recipients in support of veterinary students

Hear how the bursary will impact recipients in their studies and future careers.

As part of the Positive Pawprint strategy, our Diversity Bursary program, supporting BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) students is part of our wider commitment to supporting diversity across the veterinary profession and within our business. Building on our first year where 10 deserving students received support, we are thrilled to work with another group of students in 2024/2025. We connected with a number of new recipients and encourage you to learn more about their future.

We asked the recipients: How will this bursary impact you as a veterinary student and your career in the future? The responses we received are inspiring, and we have no doubt they will have measurable impact on their future patients and clients.

Anjuka Gunasegaran
University of Guelph, 2nd year

“This bursary will help me discover more aspects of mixed animal and wildlife medicine internationally while immersing myself in local cultures during my future fourth-year rotations! As a future veterinarian, it’s important to me to embrace cultural differences to advocate for the patients of clients of all backgrounds in an effective, symbiotic manner. I hope to foster more representation and inclusion in the veterinary community to make it a safer space for all.”

Emily Swyers
University of Prince Edward Island, 3rd year

“This bursary will greatly impact me as a veterinary student by helping to alleviate the burden of education related expenses and allow me to focus more of my time on my studies. This bursary also grants me the ability to take advantage of additional educational opportunities, such as externships, which will not only help advance my veterinary skills and knowledge, but also aid in the shaping of my career path as a future veterinarian.”

Iris Andrea Garcia Rosales
University of Montréal, 3rd year

“As a 3rd year student, this bursary will alleviate my financial concerns and enable me to devote more time to myself in this demanding course. Thanks to this support, I’ll be able to fully invest myself in the DEI and Internal Medicine committee initiatives in which I’m involved. Finally, it will be an asset to my personal and professional development, helping me acquire the skills I need to offer quality care to my future patients.”

Katherine Fleury
University of Calgary, 4th year

“My final year of veterinary studies at the University of Calgary involves completing clinical rotations across the province, which come with additional costs. I am incredibly grateful for the VetStrategy Diversity Bursary, as it will ease this financial stress and allow me to focus on my education. I also look forward to working with the talent acquisition team; their guidance and support will help me transition smoothly into the workforce and grow in my career.”

Krishanna Campbell
University of Saskatchewan, 4th year

“I am extremely thankful for being awarded such a wonderful bursary. I cannot thank everyone enough for choosing me to receive this gift. As a veterinary student, this bursary will impact my career greatly. Not only will it help me to pay off my tuition for this semester, but it will also allow me to be able to afford to purchase better equipment to use during my fourth year while working in hospital. On top of that, it will also help fund my NAVLE exam which I have to take in December of this year, which takes lots of stress off of my shoulders and the shoulders of my parents. This bursary is allowing me to be able to complete my veterinary education and I cannot thank you all enough.”

Racquel Edjoc
University of Guelph, 3rd year

“The VetStrategy Diversity Bursary for Veterinary Students will give me the financial freedom to breathe, dedicate myself wholeheartedly to my studies, and enjoy my time as a student veterinarian. The bursary will afford me the time to explore future career options such as emergency medicine and allow me to give back more to school clubs and local community initiatives.”

Selam Ogbaslase
University of Guelph, 3rd year

“This bursary would not only help me with living expenses throughout the school year but would also help support me during my externship beginning in May 2025. Our mixed animal externship is a pivotal component of our clinical year which does come with financial demands, such as relocation, rent, gas, etc. This bursary will enable me to focus on building my clinical skills, which I will continue to grow in my career as a veterinarian.”

Sunjoy Xia
University of Guelph, 2nd year

“I am excited and grateful to be a recipient this year! As a student, this bursary will be a tremendous help in accessing tools for me and fellow recipients. Having entered this field with no background knowledge or people in my life associated with veterinary medicine, I really appreciate this support in building a future career. I look forward to working with VetStrategy this year, and discussing opportunities to get involved.”

Tsukasa Iwamoto
University of Prince Edward Island, 3rd year

“Being chosen as a recipient of VetStrategy’s Diversity Bursary has made me feel more confident in myself, and my academic trajectory towards the path of veterinary medicine. I often felt unsure of my future in this field. Now I see I am recognized by people outside my sphere, and I now feel a strong urge to foster this confident feeling in other veterinary students who may also be struggling with their own identities.”

The 10^th Diversity Bursary recipient is completing their 4th year at the University of Montréal and requested to remain anonymous.

Each student will receive a one-year $5,000 bursary along with the opportunity to work with our Talent Aquisition Team on career opportunities. We’d like to thank your DVM reviewers from across the VetStrategy and Daubigny network for their assistance in scoring each application!