Vince's Veterinary Student Scholarship
10/19/2022
NEW: Scroll down if you're interested in seeing who won the 2022 scholarship!
2023 Veterinary Student Scholarship
The older I get, the more compassion I feel toward animals, which is why I have tremendous admiration and respect for those of you who are studying veterinary medicine.
To show my support, I'm offering an annual scholarship which will take the form of an $1000 cash award.
Student Scholarship Criteria
- You're enrolled in good standing in an accredited veterinary program in the United States.
Application Requirements and Deadline
The application period for the scholarship begins on October 19, 2022, and students may submit applications through October 15th, 2023. The recipients of the award will be announced on October 22nd, 2023, and notified by email.
Winners of past years' scholarships are not eligible.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit all of the following in one email to vince (at) vincekotchian.com with the subject line "2023 Vet School Scholarship":
- Your first and last name
- Your email address
- The name of your program
- Your expected graduation date
- An original poem, written by you, in an attachment to the email.
The Poem
Applicants must also submit a poem - yes, a poem - of no more than 500 words. Rather than write yet another scholarship essay about why you want to work with animals, I'd rather hear your voice in a different context.
"The pen is mightier than the sword" is not an empty phrase; the ability to convey emotion through writing is a valuable skill, and one that's increasingly neglected, in my view, in our STEM-focused education system.
The poem must be at least somewhat related to animals in some way. Other than that, you have carte blanche.
If you're serious about winning, please take the poem seriously and give it your best shot, since it is the sole criterion I will use to decide the winners! :)
If you win, I will share your poem and a photo of you (that you'll send me if you win) on this blog when I announce the winners. If you're cool with that, please apply.
Best of luck in your studies and beyond,
Vince
2022 Scholarship Winner
Aidan O'Reilly, for The Dance of Love and Sorrow
The Dance of Love and Sorrow
I stand with planted feet on shifting ground
A ship in harbor, weathering the storms
A moment’s breath before another round
Of dancing on with sorrow’s sundry forms
I’ve seen them in the shine of loving eyes
In ever eager stance, entreating play
And when I’ve faltered, deafened by their cries
I’ve grieved tomorrow’s grief and lost today
Our duty is to tend the grounds of loss
And shepherd through those new to its terrain
Yet never mourn the bridge we’ve yet to cross
Nor miss the joy we shelter from the rain
So as I meet the creatures I defend
I dance with love, who’s sorrow’s closest friend