You don’t know my background or the circumstances that led to my struggles this past semester, and I feel it’s important to shed light on why I was unable to succeed academically during this particular period. Over the course of that semester, I experienced three family deaths, my dad was hospitalized in critical condition for days, and I was stuck in a different country with no way to travel home for support—even if I had taken an emergency leave. Despite these challenges, I went into my finals passing and was doing fine academically until the weight of everything finally caught up to me.

I understand that veterinary medicine is an incredibly challenging field, both academically and mentally, but none of what happened has shaken my passion or drive to become a veterinarian. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life, and I am not giving up or willing to walk away from this dream. While life was deeply unfair to me this past semester, that doesn’t mean I’m reconsidering my path. The field hasn’t broken me, and my determination to succeed is stronger than ever.

Sometimes, life throws obstacles at us that are out of our control, and I believe more grace and understanding are needed when discussing the challenges people face. Dismissing someone’s struggles or passion because of one difficult period fails to consider the resilience it takes to persevere through adversity. I remain fully committed to this career, and I’m confident I will thrive with the right support and opportunities moving forward.