To many, being a Volunteer means being passionate about more than the work in the classroom. It’s also helping out when a need arises and serving the community, even when the community is global.
Since the 1980’s, original UTCVM faculty member Dr. DJ Krahwinkel has traveled to close to twenty countries in Africa and South America with organizations like Christian Veterinary Mission (with and without veterinary students) to underserved regions like Zanzibar, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia and Djibouti. For the retired small animal department head, these trips aren’t just about treating animals; they also involve educating local communities on animal health and welfare, and helping to preserve the livelihood of people whose lives are animal-dependent. “Vaccinating horses during an encephalitis outbreak in Ecuador helps coffee bean farmers who use those animals to get their crops down the steep mountains. Vaccinating against foot and mouth disease helps a family not lose half its cattle herd. Livestock isn’t a hobby for people in many of these countries, it’s their life,” says Krahwinkel. “Is it right to sit here with all our resources and keep them to ourselves?”
Krahwinkel would task students on the trips to give impromptu presentations on vital topics like preventing the spread of tapeworms through proper sanitation practices. Through these mission trips, students gain invaluable hands-on experience while making a tangible difference in people’s lives. They come to understand that helping animals directly translates to improving human well-being and making a difference in the world is more about possessing expertise; it’s about sharing that expertise with those less fortunate.
That Volunteer spirit has continued throughout the college’s history. Krahwinkel encouraged Dr. Sara Phipps (CVM ’97) to volunteer with Christian Veterinary Mission as a veterinary student. Now she and her husband Jason serve as missionaries in Bolivia. CVM mother-daughter team, Diane and Emma Hendrix were able to participate together on a short-term mission trip to Bolivia in 2022. “Participating on Christian Veterinary Mission trips allows us to serve others even though it takes us a little out of our comfort zone,” says Hendrix. “Veterinary medicine is so broad and directly touches the lives of so many people that mission trips are a wonderful way to share our knowledge and time while helping others.”
Emma Hendrix (CVM ’24) was introduced to veterinary medicine at a young age. She and her sister, Anna, would sometimes join their mom, Dr. Diane Hendrix (CVM ‘90), when she was called in for late-night ophthalmology emergencies. Hendrix is a professor of ophthalmology and Small Animal Clinical Sciences interim department head at UTCVM.
“I never purposefully influenced the kids in what profession they wanted to pursue, but I always shared an excitement for science. My daughter Anna, is in the middle of a pediatric residency at the University of Utah at Salt Lake City.”
While she got to see cool things associated with the profession at an early age, ultimately, Emma opted for the diverse field of veterinary medicine because it offers many career options.
While attending the University of Tennessee, Knoxville for a Bachelor of Science degree, Emma, along with more than 1,000 students applied for a seat in the UTCVM Class of 2024.
“I was very proud when Emma was accepted, although I had no doubt she would be – she’s an exceptional student who did what she was supposed to do with getting her shadowing and research experience. I was a little concerned because vet school is really hard, and I knew it would be stressful.” But Hendrix offered her daughter sound advice, “Keep studying, be nice, help your classmates out when you can, and in turn, they will help you out because four years is a long time, and everyone will need help at some point along the way. Be there for your friends when they need it. I’m here for your friends and classmates if they need it.”
And need it they did. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Class of 2024 didn’t have the opportunity to take part in team-building exercises, the Tennessee Welcome, or the white coat ceremony before beginning their professional educational journey. In the fall of 2020, they started vet school via Zoom and watched their professors adjust to the transformation of delivering the curriculum online. The only class they were on campus for the entire first year was anatomy, and even then, students were placed in small groups. They didn’t know they would not be meeting their classmates in person until their second year when they were a quarter of the way through veterinary school.
“I kept telling her and her friends it would all be ok, we will figure out a way to deliver your education,” Hendrix remembers. “They were concerned. They were told they had to stay within their anatomy groups and couldn’t socialize outside those anatomy groups. Emma’s group would come for dinner and study and bake cookies.” Emma says the class bonded through their struggles.
Having Emma at UTCVM helped Hendrix develop a deeper understanding of the importance of mentorship for those who may not have a solid support network in place. “Those students need to be able to turn to faculty and mentors for advice. We need to make sure we are set up as faculty and a university to be that support they can come to if they can’t get it from family.” Hendrix says mentorship isn’t one size fits all. “We need to identify the ones who need involved mentors.”
Emma began the next chapter in her life as a small animal intern at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine – the same place her mom completed an internship. “To this day, I remember the stress of applying for an internship and then a residency and then taking boards. I am concerned my daughter will face those same stresses.” It’s neurology, not ophthalmology, that sparks Emma’s interest. “I haven’t been able to make her see the light and open her eyes to ophthalmology!” jokes Hendrix.
Regardless of which path Emma takes, Hendrix looks forward to more mission trips with her both for the fun and the bonding that results from being a VOLunteer.
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