“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard Shaw

Pictured clockwise from top left: Katie G, Julie O'Neill, Nicole Chodora, Kelsey Woodson, Amanda Garrick, Peter Ellis, Hannah Skolnik

Pictured clockwise from top left: Katie G, Julie O’Neill, Nicole Chodora, Kelsey Woodson, Amanda Garrick, Peter Ellis, Hannah Skolnik

Current events remind us about the importance of values, character, and our personal responsibility in a diverse and democratic society. This week we honor those values as we welcome the school’s 70th class of veterinary students. To celebrate the occasion we provide each new student with a white laboratory coat during an induction ceremony in front of their classmates, faculty, staff, and loved ones.  The “white coat” is a reminder to the incoming class that they have entered a profession with time honored standards and obligations to their patients and society. Our veterinary clients and the public often view the white coat as a symbol of a compassionate healer with unique expertise acquired through the passionate pursuit of specialized knowledge and skills. Importantly, the white coat symbolizes a standard of professionalism and a reminder of the trust that must be earned from the clients, patients, and the public we serve.