K-State veterinary students corral scholarship awards at national bovine practitioner conference

 

Ivy Elkins and Thomas Christensen II stand in front of the VHC's Livestock Services entrance

Fourth-year students Ivy Elkins and Thomas Christensen II were recipients of annual scholarship awards presented during the annual AABP Conference in Omaha.

 

Forty-two scholarships were given at the 58th Annual Conference of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, or AABP, in Omaha, Nebraska, Sept. 11-13. Four of the scholarships went to two K-State veterinary students: Thomas Christensen II and Ivy Elkins.

Thomas and Ivy both received the AABP Foundation/Zoetis Scholarship with the goal to attract adequate numbers of well-trained veterinarians to enter food animal practice, in general, and bovine practice, specifically. This scholarship award is in the amount of $7,500.

“My goal has always been to work in a rural area serving ranchers and their cattle,” Thomas said. “Once I graduate, I plan to go into rural mixed animal practice with an emphasis on cow/calf in Albion, Nebraska.”

“My plan is to pursue a career in beef cattle medicine,” Ivy said. “I’m passionate about advocating for animal welfare in production settings and supporting producers’ livelihoods. I also want to be a role model for women in the cattle industry."

Thomas also received the Merck Animal Health Bovine Student Recognition Award, which is a $10,000 scholarship that is based on academic achievements, career goals, work experience and interest in veterinary medicine. In addition, he was selected as a recipient of the $11,500 Amstutz Scholarship for superior veterinary students with a graduation year of 2026 or 2027 who demonstrate the character, knowledge, experience, motivation and potential to become outstanding bovine veterinarians in the United States and Canada.

Overall, the AABP Foundation distributed $343,000 in scholarships, $115,000 in externship and education grants, and $64,986 in research grants for a total of $522,986.

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