建立信心

灵感来自她在农场的童年记忆, Mount Mercy gave 莫妮卡·史蒂芬，18岁 the confidence and skills needed to attend graduate school and pursue her dream of becoming a mixed animal veterinarian. 

是什么让你想成为一名兽医? Is there a particular category of animals you want to work with, e.g. 大动物，小动物? 你怎么知道这条路对你来说是正确的?

MS: I grew up on my family’s dairy farm, so I was constantly surrounded by animals. My fondest memories were of those working with the animals on our farm. I also had great veterinarians as role models who would come to the farm for emergencies or monthly herd health checks. These individuals always took time to answer any questions I may have had. 我也有很多机会跟随兽医. I shadowed large animal producers that worked mostly on beef and dairy operations, to small animal veterinarians where they worked on anything from a bearded dragon to a great dane. Seeing these different individuals work on a variety of species had me sold. 我喜欢每天都不一样的感觉. 我可以看到如何在世界的那个地方有所作为.

我喜欢和大动物和小动物一起工作, and I am currently on a mixed animal track at Iowa State University. I wanted to go with the mixed animal track because I truly do enjoy working with many different animals. This also keeps my options open, not only when finding a job, but my day to day career.

In the back of my head I always thought I wanted to be a veterinarian, but this didn’t really set in until I shadowed the people in the profession along with many long talks with my 顾问 at Mount Mercy. 我知道从客户的角度来看，我是怎么想的, 但绝不是从真正的医生的角度出发. 这就是影子真正发挥作用的时候. I knew it was for me when the veterinarians would not only treat the patient, 但也能帮到老板. Veterinarians are so much more than the people you meet with once a year for your pet’s physical and vaccinations. 他们站在食品安全的第一线, 防止外来动物疾病进入美国.S.它们对公众健康有巨大的影响. When I was able to witness this from the doctor’s point of view, I knew I wanted to be involved.

是什么吸引你来到Mount Mercy的兽医预科课程? How did the biology and biochemistry programs help prepare you for graduate school?

“慈悲山的教授们是来挑战我的, 让我问些棘手的问题, 最重要的是, 来帮助我."

MS: The biology and chemistry programs challenged me in a way that I was never challenged before and that is why I am still currently successful as a veterinary student now. 这些课程不仅教你基础知识, 但挑战你运用批判性思维, 知识的应用, 提高你解决问题的能力. This is what any undergraduate program needs to prepare students for veterinary school (or any professional program). 芒特慈悲学院的教授们是来挑战我的, 让我问些棘手的问题, 最重要的是, 来帮助我. They were the ones who deserve most of the credit as to where I am now. They helped me get to where I am today, and they were the ones who prepared me for veterinary school.

MMU: What are some challenges you’ve faced in your academic career? 你是如何克服它们的?

MS: One challenge that I am constantly having to overcome is the feeling that I am not good enough. I am sort of a perfectionist, so this thought process is not very healthy. 在慈悲山，我和辅导员们谈了很多, 顾问, and 教授 about this and they all helped me walk through that I am good enough to deserve the things I have in life. I walk through the steps that I have taken to get to where I am and re-enforce the work that I have put in, 时间和精力. I look back at past events and take note of the successes I have had and re-enforce that I am good enough, 我配得上我现在所处的位置.

我也曾与焦虑作斗争. 从我记事起, 如果我第一次没有理解一个概念, 我会感到沮丧和焦虑. This really came out during my time at Mount Mercy because classes were not as easy as they were in high school. When these types of emotions like frustration or anxiety would creep up, I would go to my 教授 and ask a ton of questions about the topics I didn’t understand.

MS: 我参加了不少校园组织. 我参加了科学俱乐部, Chemmusical, 校园部, 慈善山活动策划委员会(M2AP Board), 乐队, 和迎新(作为迎新领导). I was also a tutor in ACE, a Peer Minister, and a work-study student in the biology department. All of these activities help me meet new people and truly become a part of the Mount Mercy campus. These organizations really helped me figure out who I was, and who I wanted to be. A lot of these organizations helped me get out of my shell and out of my comfort zone. These organizations helped me become a better leader and a better communicator, 老实说，这让我的大学生活非常愉快.

MMU: What are your plans after you graduate from veterinarian school? 你有特别想在哪个地理区域工作吗?

MS: 我毕业后的计划还在进行中, but I would like to practice in Eastern Iowa where I am originally from. There is still a need for mixed animal veterinarians in that area due to a high agricultural presence.

MMU: How have you seen yourself grow from your freshman year at MMU to your last year in grad school?

MS: 我变得更加自信了. 不仅作为一个学生，而且作为一个人. There are obviously times when I don’t think I deserve to be where I am, 或者我不知道自己在做什么, 但我有更好的应对机制和可以求助的人. 我明白了，不懂一切也没关系, 如果你尽了最大的努力，那就是你所能做的. 我也学会了向别人寻求帮助. 这适用于与学校有关的事情, but reaching out to people to talk to has definitely helped me with my school anxiety and has helped me grow as a person, to know that I don’t have to walk through this journey alone and worried all the time.

MMU: What is one piece of advice you would give to incoming students? 为什么?

MS: My one piece of advice for incoming students would be that it is okay not to have everything figured out right away. 我最初的计划并不是去兽医学校, 但在我家人的帮助下, 朋友, 教授, 和默西山的顾问们, 我能够看到适合我的职业道路.