Briana Guerra

Dear Westie Foundation of America, Inc., on behalf of Thomas andRoxanne Austin,

I would like to express my sincerest thanks--your support means more than words can express. Thank you so much for helping me pursue my lifelong dream. This scholarship has truly helped jump-start my veterinary career and I am deeply grateful.

I grew up in a low-income, primarily non-English-speaking community. Iwas raised by two parents who fled the civil war in El Salvador andimmigrated to the U.S at 18-years old. My father earned his GED, but my mother was not able to access education beyond the eighth grade. Due to this, education was always strongly emphasized in my household. My parents dreamed that I would be able to access more opportunities than they ever could, so when they heard I wanted to be a vet, they encouraged me to reach for the stars. Little did they know, their experiences and my background would shape my veterinary career goals!

Serving people who share my background and have faced similar circumstances personally brings me the most fulfillment. My experiences have highlighted the barriers that hinder access to veterinary care and have motivated me to explore what is within my own means to help. The opportunity to discover new ways I can personally make veterinary care more accessible to individuals is what drives me in my pursuit of a careeri n small animal general practice.

As a kid, I would tag along to our dog's veterinary visits. My mom would always tell me she hated going to the vet clinic because she only spoke Spanish and never fully understood the treatment plans due to the language barrier. I saw how she struggled to be seen, heard, and included in our dog's veterinary care. My mission from then on was to make sure my future clients felt seen, heard, and understood. The day I found out I was awarded the Westie Foundation of America Scholarship, I felt seen for the first time! Thank you for believing in me and helping me move closer to my dream.

Sincerely,

Briana Guerra