Spilling the tea on future veterinary student, Terrisha Buckley
Terrisha Buckley has gone from being a small town girl to one of more than two hundred veterinary students at Ross University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. This Mississippi native moved to Atlanta after graduating from Tuskegee University with an undergraduate degree in biology. She always wanted to be a veterinarian and she was delighted when she found out that she was accepted in to the Ross University School’s Veterinary Prep Program. This January, she packed her bags, jumped on a plane, and moved to the islands, her new home for the next four years.
We caught up Terrisha to find out more:
If I wasn’t pursuing vet med I would be: I am a natural storyteller and love to write. If I wasn’t pursuing vet med, I would have pursued journalism. In fact, I spent the last few years as a biotechl copy writer.
Best career advice I ever received? Don’t let school stress yourself out. Study hard and do the best you can.
Three qualities that got me where I am today: Tenacity, persistence, and a willingness to try new things
Most agonizing career decision I ever made: I would say moving to another country to go to veterinary school was one of the hardest things I have ever done career-wise.
Easiest career decision I made: Saying yes when I found out that I got into the Veterinary Prep Program at Ross, I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough.
How did you make your first dollar: I made my first dollar as a math tutor in high school. I tutored in Geometry and Algebra.
Book that left a last impression on me: All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot is one of my favorite books, for obvious reasons. I read this book when I was younger and the farmyard world of this English countryside veterinarian came to life for me. I especially loved the stories about the James Herriot’s dealings with his clients, he handled even the most awkward situations with a grace and a good sense of humor.
How I clear my head after a stressful day: After a stressful day, I like to talk to some of my closest friends. I know that they are there for me anytime I am feeling down and we always make each other laugh. I also like toI listen to music and dance around my room. I also enjoy journaling and I recently tried adult coloring books, my favorites are the ones with flowers and cute animals.
Advice for my younger self: Failure is sometimes an option, but giving up is not. Just because something you wanted desperately didn’t work out, you can still make it. Those images in your head that you see for your future are achievable. Don’t let anyone force you to believe differently.
Change I would like to see in my industry and how we can get there: I would love to see more open minds in our professionals. A veterinarian for today is not defined in the same way they were defined 10, 20, or 50 years ago. Times have changed and we need to change, too.
What everyone should try once in their lifetime: Everyone should try something that scares them. For me, I am not a fan of heights. I had the opportunity to get on the tallest waterslide in the world, the Veruckt- taller than Niagara Falls—at speeds up to 70 miles per hour. I knew it would be difficult. I knew my knees would tremble, and I would reach the top and call myself ‘stupid’ for climbing the thing. However, after I safely made it back to the ground, I realized that I am capable of overcoming a lot.
Who was your hero growing up: In fantasy, I always loved Storm and Jubilee from X-Men. They were both really powerful women that were not ashamed of being different.
In real life, my hero was my mom. I know that may sound cheesy but hear me out. She was the first of her family to graduate from college. She became a nurse at the top of her class while being a single mom. She did so well, she inspired her younger sister to go back to college to study computer programming. A woman that was often told that she would never ‘get anywhere.’ Not only did she get somewhere, she inspired others to join her.
