A Final Message from the Senior Editor, Emily Camarda

Hey Future Vets!

Just like that, the school year is over.
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This year was extra special for me because it was my very last. That’s right - I’m graduating! Putting aside the feeling that first years are reading this and thinking I’m old, I’d love nothing more than to share what wisdom and advice I can in my very last (!!!) Omnis blog post. 
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I find myself sitting in my empty bedroom in my apartment writing this, knowing that I'll be moving out tomorrow, and the feeling is so bittersweet. Your undergraduate experience will be one that you’ll never forget. The friends you make, the things you learn… I hope that you can remember to appreciate them as they happen, and not just once it’s all said and done the night before you move out. Live in the moment and enjoy it. I know, university isn’t all sunshine and rainbows — it’s hard work, too. But that means that you should congratulate yourself every time you strive to do well, and take part in things you love to break up the days. For me, that was the FVC.

For the past 2 years I have been writing for the Omnis Animalis, and it has been such a fun experience. If anyone reading this has been thinking about applying to become an FVC executive, this is your sign - do it. You won’t regret it, I promise. 

Not only has the Future Vets Club enabled me to make amazing connections, meet wonderful friends, educate myself beyond courses and exercise my creativity on the blog, it has prepared me for my future. It was through FVC events, speakers, and blog posts that I let myself explore all of my options post-grad, and it solidified for me how much I want to be a vet. One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give you is to use your first years of university to seek out information that will help you plan your future. Educate yourself. Make friends and connections. Just put yourself out there. I probably missed so many wonderful opportunities in the beginning because I was too shy to go out there and make the most of university extracurriculars (I managed to turn it around though, here I am writing to all of you! Who would have thought?). ​

Me babysitting Coco, FVC's honorary mascot (and Samantha's ADS foster puppy!)

I also want to stress the importance of keeping an open mind and following your heart throughout this process. If you’re anything like me, you’re coming into your undergrad with a cut-and-dry idea of your future post-grad: the vet school you’ll go to, the life you’ll be living, and so on. The sooner you can loosen your grip on your plan, the sooner you can begin to just enjoy where you are right now and make the most of it. My life was fully and completely planned for me since I finished high school. I wanted to “get super high grades, apply to OVC asap, get accepted, and become a vet!” I refused to see my future turn out any other way, and I was so focused on this vision that I had to learn the hard way that sometimes what we think is the right path won’t really make you happy; what’s meant to be will be, and all you can do is try your best right now and see where life takes you.
I’m not saying skip class and stop setting goals. I’m saying to give yourself some credit and to have some faith in yourself. You will try your best academically, gather experience and references, and buff up your vet school applications, and you will STILL feel like you’re not doing enough. It’s not true. You deserve to be here as much as anyone else. You are at this university because you’re a hard worker, you’re smart, and you’re capable. You will have bad days, you will get some low marks, it’s not the end of the world. The best you can do is the best
you can do. Things won't always turn out the way you planned them, but they will always turn out well.

I’m excited to finally announce that in the fall I'll be attending University College Dublin for my DVM! It is definitely a very different school than OVC, on a VERY different side of the world. Undoubtedly, my life will look different than how first-year Emily thought it would look. That is ok.
I used to think that this revelation would be scary. You don’t have control over what vet school accepts you, so sometimes it feels like a random draw where you pull a number out of a hat and all of a sudden you’re living in Ireland. But the truth is, uncertainty is only scary if you let it be. Uncertainty can be exciting.

How exciting is it that in a couple of months time, I’ll be a completely different person, living somewhere new, making new friends, learning new things, and I have no idea how any of it will go? I am so privileged that I get to find out. 
You’re lucky too. By the end of your undergrad, you might also be a totally new person. Maybe your plans will change. What I know for sure though is that you will continue being a smart, capable, strong, special person, who has the power to make your future a happy one no matter what. With that in mind, you’re free to enjoy being where you’re at right now - you’ll never be here again!

My undergraduate journey has come to an end, and so has my time with the Future Vets Club.
The Omnis is my baby, it has been such a labour of love for me and I was lucky to be able to bring so much change to it this year (New website! New design! New logo! New voice! New interviews! New series!) and it is my hope that it continues to be an uplifting, inspiring place for future vets. Sophia will be taking my spot, and she is an extremely talented writer with a never-ending flow of amazing ideas. I have absolutely zero doubt that she will do an amazing job running the blog, and if you want to help run the blog too, be on the lookout! Our next round of hiring will include a Junior Editor position!

Me and my FVC executive family!

If you ever need to talk, need a friend, need advice, or have a question, I am here for you. Shoot me a dm on Instagram (@emilycamarda) and I’d be more than happy to help you out.
Thank you so much for reading. I hope I was able to encourage or comfort you in some way through my articles, and I hope you feel seen while reading a tiny bit of all I learned in my four years at the University of Guelph. I look forward to working with you all one day when we’re vets!

Signing off, 
Emily Camarda, Senior Editor