Executive 2022-2023

Co-President - Amanda Gawza

Program and Year: 3rd Year Biological Science

Pronouns: She/Her
Hi everyone! My name is Amanda and I am in my third year of Biological Science. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawn to and fascinated by animals. As a child, I loved to play with frogs, toads, insects, and any other living creatures that entered my path. Currently, my favourite animals are rhinos and cows.
My experience working for veterinarians has emphasized the fact that a career in veterinary medicine is absolutely what I want to pursue. I aspire to continue to learn about and gain experience with all different species of animals, as the world of veterinary science is so vast! I cannot wait to connect with everyone over our shared love of animals and the profession.

Co-President - Niharika Prakash

Faculty Advisor - Elizabeth Lowenger

Manager of Student Affairs, Ontario Veterinary College

Communications Officer - Alena Parkinson

Program and Year: 4th Year Animal Biology

Pronouns: She/They

Aspirations: I have loved learning about animals (big and small!) for my entire life and pursuing a career in veterinary medicine was something I felt was right for me! In the future I hope to work with exotics or in wildlife rehabilitation, but I’m open to any specialty that allows me to care for animals and do what I love.

Senior Events Coordinator - Christina Gao

Program and Year: 3rd Year Animal Biology

Pronouns: She/Her

Aspirations: My journey with animals started at a very young age, beginning with a little fear and doubt. But after all the experiences I had with them, I started to understand the beauty and conflicts within human-animal relationships. I decided that I want to keep working with both sides to maximize the beauty and minimize the conflict. My goals now are to get into OVC to develop my potentials, so that I am able to help when needed, and I want to encourage the members of FVC to reveal their abilities confidently with me.

Senior Events Coordinator - Hannah Oakey

Program and Year: 2nd year Animal Biology

Pronouns: She/Her

Aspirations: I didn’t know I wanted to become a veterinarian until I started a job at a local animal hospital. Since then my passion and interest in the field has helped me flourish as a pre-veterinary student! My favourite part of veterinary medicine thus far has been emergency medicine and research, although I am driven in all aspects of the field! I look forward to using the University of Guelph's Future Vet club as a platform to share this passion and inspire others!

Junior Events Coordinator - Chathu Mahanama

Program and Year: 2nd year Animal Biology
Pronouns: she/her

Although I’ve never had any pets of my own, my interest and love for animals knows no bounds. Even as a child, I was often found watching nature documentaries and zoo veterinary shows with wide eyes and an elephant plushie by my side. I have a strong passion for zoological medicine and hope to one day play a role in wildlife conservation. My experiences as a vet assistant only made my aspirations clearer. In the future, I hope to explore new topics in the field and learn more about exotic animal health. I’m so glad to be a part of the amazing FVC support network and look forward to connecting with other members on our journey through the pre-vet experience!

Website & Marketing Officer - Eva Gharabaghi

Program and Year: 2nd Year Bio-Medical Science

Pronouns: She/They

Hi, I’m Eva and I am so excited to be a member of the Future Vets Club Executive Team! I am passionate about animal welfare and I find medicine fascinating, so I’ve long known that veterinary medicine is the field for me. I am especially interested in companion animal surgery and oncology. By one day becoming a vet, my goal is to improve the health of animals, humans, and the environment. I’ve been lucky to have some incredible experiences in rescue, research, and rehabilitation, so it is important to me to also promote animal rescue and veterinary outreach. As a member of the FVC Executive Team, I hope to support other future vets on our journeys towards this meaningful career!

Marketing Officer - Ronit Kolet

Program and Year: 2nd Year Animal Biology

Pronouns: She/Her

Aspirations: For as long as I can remember I have found animals fascinating and have always had an eagerness to know more about them. Ever since I was a little kid I knew I wanted to have a future that involved working around animals and finding ways to help them. This led me down the path to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. With my main interest currently being companion animals, over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to learn a lot more about other options within the veterinary field, not only through my program but also largely through the Future Vets Club! My passions for animal welfare, rehabilitation, and conservation have grown immensely and I hope to one day reach my goal of getting into the OVC to apply these passions and incorporate them into my career. Being an Executive on the FVC team, I hope to encourage and support members with similar hopes in any way I can to help them reach their goals too!

Secretary - Alex Czudner

Program and Year: 4th Year Arts & Sciences

Pronouns: She/They

Aspirations: I have always had a love for animals and have been wanting to be a veterinarian for as long as I can remember. I am currently leaning towards small animals, but I am keeping an open mind, as I do love all species. I would love to one day specialize in surgery. I am so excited to see where this journey takes me!

Senior Treasurer - Sydney Topfer

Program and Year: 3rd Year Animal Biology

Pronouns: She/Her

Aspirations: I have always been fascinated by the biology of animals which has led me to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. I would love to work with exotic species but am also very interested in wildlife rehabilitation, and have a particular interest in surgery and nutrition. I am excited to further explore the vast field of veterinary medicine and meet new people along the way!

Junior Treasurer - Lindsay McMurter

Program and Year: 1st Year Zoology
Pronouns:She/Her

Aspirations: I’ve been surrounded by animals since I was a kid and have had a passion for taking care of them which led me to pursue a career in veterinary medicine.Over the past 3 years I have worked in a vet clinic and have seen first hand what animal medicine is all about. I look forward to expanding my knowledge and one day hope to work with wildlife or in emergency medicine. I’m excited to be a part of the FVC executive team and look forward to meeting others who are as passionate about animals as I am.

Senior Editor of the Omnis Animalis - Melissa Feng

Program and Year: 3rd year Animal Biology

Pronouns: She/Her

Aspirations: Animals have played an irreplaceable role in my life up until this point, and I would love to be able to give back in my own way. My current goal is to enter the OVC to pursue veterinary medicine, but I am keeping my career paths open to explore various areas of animal care. I have a particular interest in wildlife, small animals, and potentially a specialization in internal medicine! For the time being, my aim is to expand my knowledge and experience in as many different areas of animal care as possible.

Junior Editor of the Omnis Animalis - Anna Jedynak

Program and Year: 2nd Year Animal Biology
Pronouns: she/her

Bio: Working with animals in some way has always been a goal of mine, and wildlife rehabilitation and conservation is my largest area of interest. Studying veterinary medicine is how I intend to realize my dream of protecting and rehabilitating endangered species, and to help preserve the environment. I have been fortunate enough to volunteer with organizations that gave me experience around injured wildlife, which helped me to form my future goals. As the Junior Editor of the Omnis Animalis, I am excited to inform others of potential opportunities and passions in the veterinary field

Executive Assistant - Holly Liu

Program and Year: 2nd Year Bio-Medical Science

Pronouns: She/Her

Aspirations: Growing up, I was always that kid that stopped and asked to pet every. single. dog. that walked by. These furry little creatures sparked some kind of curiosity in me and followed as I continued my years. During highschool I was fortunate enough to be able to co-op at my local clinic and shortly after was offered a job. Being able to see my favourite subjects being intertwined with my passion for animals set a lightbulb off in my head and wanted to learn more about veterinary medicine. I've still got a long way to go but with such a supportive and amazing community I feel very secure knowing I have all the help I need and I hope to provide the same! I would love to dive deeper in emergency medicine and neurology but as of right now I'm pretty much an open book!

Executive Assistant - Katie Trepyshko

Program and Year: 3rd Year Animal Biology

Pronouns: She/Her

Aspirations: I have always loved animals and wanted to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. I have been fortunate enough to work at a small animal clinic and volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary and I’m particularly interested in small animal, exotic, and wildlife medicine. I would also be interested in specializing in surgery or emergency medicine in the future, however I am open to all possibilities!

Executive Assistant - Mya Pellegrini

Program and Year: 1st Year Bio-Medical Science

Pronouns: She/Her

Hi everyone! My name is Mya and I am a first year Biomedical Sciences student. Growing up, I had a huge affinity for animals and knew that one day I would want to be a veterinarian. As I became older, I was made aware of what a challenging and daunting process this can be. I love people equally as much as I love animals, and I want to help other aspiring vets navigate their way through this process just as I am trying to do! Along my journey I have already learned so many new things, spoken to so many new people and overall, deepened my love and admiration for the work that veterinarians do every day. I am open to all fields of veterinary medicine and I am eager to see where the rest of my journey takes me. I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of the FVC!

Executive Assistant - Andrea Glube

Program and Year: 1st year Bio-Medical Science
Pronouns: She/Her
Aspirations: In grade 10 I spent one day job shadowing at a small animal clinic and was instantly drawn to the world of veterinary medicine. Since then, I've spent time working at a local clinic and volunteering at a guide dog center overseas during my gap year. I've recently started helping out with some cow research projects and am really looking forward to expanding my knowledge in the field. I'm thrilled to be a part of this club and can't wait to watch all of these future vets turn into real vets. An exciting journey lies ahead!

Executive Assistant - Kaylah Mitchell

Program and Year: 3rd Year Zoology

Pronouns: She/her

I have always loved animals and have been interested in researching animal behaviour or biodiversity. However, wanting to become a vet started a bit later when I began to learn more about the profession. I love helping animals and the fact that it’s like solving a puzzle because they can’t tell you exactly what’s wrong. I have spent the last couple of years working at horse riding farms, and I’m currently working at a small animal clinic. As of now, I am interested in exotic, wildlife, zoo, and equine medicine, however, there are so many more fields I am open to exploring!

Outreach Officer - Vanessa Pompeo

Program and Year: 2nd year Bio-Medical Sciences
Pronouns: She/Her
Aspirations: Animals have played a huge part in the person I am today and the goals I am striving for in my future! Since I was little, I have always been so fascinated by animals and their welfare. With that said, I have an enormous passion for veterinary medicine, and I am hoping to pursue a career within the field. I love working with small animals, but I also have an interest in marine and wildlife species. I am so excited to make a positive impact within the FVC team, as well as help other like-minded individuals with their path to vet school!

Outreach Officer - Maeve Powis

Program and Year: 3rd Year Animal Biology

Pronouns: She/Her

Bio: My name is Maeve and I am super excited to be apart of the FVC executive team for 2022-2023! I have always been interested in science and medicine. However, I didn’t realize I wanted to be a vet until my horse Ally underwent colic surgery at the Ontario Veterinary College in 2020. Since then, I have been lucky enough to work in both large, and small animal practices as well as research. While I love all areas on veterinary medicine, my love for equestrian sport has sparked my interest in equine practice, specifically equine internal medicine.