EQUINE VETERINARY EDUCATION / AE / FEBRUAry 2008 vII
Eight veterinary students have been selected to receive
$2,500 scholarships from the American Live Stock
Insurance Company (ALSIC) and the AAEP Foundation.
The scholarships are presented annually to
fourth-year veterinary students who plan to
pursue a career in equine veterinary practice.
Veterinary students are nominated for the
scholarships by their individual schools with
supporting references from AAEP members
and clinical instructors. In addition to aca-
demic excellence, recipients are evaluated on
leadership ability and involvement in activities that benefit
the health and welfare of the horse.
Congratulations to the 2007 scholarship recipients:
Leslie Buffington graduated from
Texas A&M University with a bache-
lor?s degree in biomedical science in
2002. She worked in the Large
Animal ICU for two years and entered
the Texas A&M College of Veterinary
Medicine in 2004. Leslie is tracking
large animal and will graduate in May
2008. She has evented horses all of her
life and has continued to compete throughout veterinary
school. Leslie was an officer in the Texas A&M student
chapter of AAEP all four years of veterinary school and
served as chapter president from 2006-2007. Upon grad-
uation, Leslie plans on pursuing a career in equine veteri-
nary medicine and hopes to continue to work with sport
horses.
Liz Devine lived in the suburbs of
Chicago, Ill., for most of her life and
grew up riding hunter/jumpers. She
pursued her undergraduate work at
Colorado State University and earned
a bachelor?s degree in equine science.
She continued riding through college
by competing on the intercollegiate
equestrian team. Liz is currently
attending Iowa State University for veterinary school and
has been very active in the AAEP student chapter by serving
as both vice president and wet lab coordinator. After gradu-
ation, she will complete an internship at Oakridge Equine
Hospital in Edmond, Okla.
Jillian J. Dougherty grew up in Houston, Texas, and attend-
ed Texas A&M University where she received a bachelor?s
degree in animal science. Following the completion of her
undergraduate degree, Jillian was employed by Texas A&M
University?s Large Animal Hospital as a veterinary techni-
cian. During her tenure, she served as
co-coordinator for the Foal Watch
program for one season and as a
supervisory technician in the Intensive
Care Unit. She then attended graduate
school, completing a master?s degree in
Equine Nutrition while continuing her
work as a technician. She remained
with the Large Animal Hospital for
five years prior to joining Mississippi State University?s Class
of 2008. Jillian has been active in the AAEP student chapter,
serving as vice president, and worked at the MSU Equine
Clinic during veterinary school. In addition, she is certified
in large animal emergency response and rescue. Following
graduation, she plans to enter into an equine internship
program.
Casey James Gruber grew up on a
cattle ranch near Joliet, Mont. He
graduated in 1999 from Joliet High
School and attended Montana State
University in Bozeman as an under-
graduate student. Casey also competed
on the MSU intercollegiate rodeo team
during college and received his bache-
lor?s of science in animal science in
2003. He was accepted to Colorado State University?s
College of Veterinary Medicine and served as CSU?s AAEP
student chapter president during his junior year. Casey
plans to graduate in 2008, and has accepted an internship
at Pioneer Equine Hospital in Oakdale, Calif., following
graduation.
Lindsey Helms was born and raised in
the small town of Clemson, S.C. Her
parents were college professors who
taught in the Department of Biological
Sciences at Clemson University. She
was first introduced to horses when
one of her mother?s students offered to
give her riding lessons in exchange for
babysitting her daughter when she
needed to study. Lindsey soon discovered a passion for
three-day eventing. She attended Clemson University as an
undergraduate, majoring in pre-veterinary sciences. Every
summer, Lindsey would pack up her horses and move to
North Carolina where she worked at a friend?s veterinary
hospital and exercised horses. Lindsey graduated with
Summa Cum Laude honors from Clemson University in
May 2004. She started attending the University of Georgia
College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004 as an equine track-
ing student. Throughout her veterinary college career she
was very involved with the Large Animal Treatment Crew
Students receive ALSIC/AAEP Foundation scholarships