Dr. Jerry Sellon

All the best wishes to you! Craig Stanton Class of 2007.

I will treasure all the times I worked with you all in the ER.

Remember to be kind to yourself. Remember that you are human. You will make mistakes and you will learn from them. Some may be harder than others. Continue to learn, you will never stop learning. Take care of your team. Eat your lunch. Set boundaries and stick to them. It is okay to cry. It is okay to be sad. Treasure the cases that you got to send home. Reach out if you need help or support rather than trying to take everything on yourselves. Don't practice medicine that is below your standard. Do not just settle. Find somewhere that empowers you to be a better Veterinarian.

I am so proud of each and everyone of you. You made it! You survived. You can breathe now. (:

And if you're staying at CSU, I will see you around.

Sending my love and wishing you all the best on your future endeavors.

Ivy Rodal, RVT

Emergency and Critical Care Unit

Yvette Nout-Lomas, Equine Medicine

CSU has prepared you, probably better than any other school, to do great things. When you get lost or down remember your “why”! Find joy in solving puzzles!!!! When you’re in the middle of a challenging case- go back to the signalment and the history! Your profs drilled those into you for a reason!!!

Get involved!!!! AAHA, AVMA, AAEP, VMG… Surround yourself with people smarter than you and more successful than you! Get a mentor!!!

Don’t be afraid of practice ownership! It is the path to financial success-beyond anything you can dream of. My last bit of advice is that work life balance is achievable. For me, that meant I worked as hard as I could so that I could afford the life I wanted. I have no regrets that I worked my butt off for 20 years, opening hospitals and daycares- I work now because I love it not because I have to! Don’t let anyone fool you into thinking that you will be wildly successful by working four days a week eight hours at a time. You won’t ! You might have a marvelous work-life balance, but you will not become wildly successful. I will assure you that I struggled… And I will also assure you that the struggle is worth it. DRPAMN@gmail.com Is my email. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need it! I am so excited for you all to go change the world, change the narrative in veterinary medicine- And mostly- to experience the joy and the magic of saving patients and helping clients. All my best to each of you.

Pam Nichols, DVM CSU Class of ‘96

Dr Laurie Bulkeley

At some point—or many points—you will have to decide what kind of veterinarian you will be. Balancing your oath to care for the pet, the pet parent, and the community is not easy. Many veterinarians feel pressured to prioritize the pet parent's wishes, emotions, or external pressures, sometimes at the expense of the pet.

I encourage you to always put the pet’s welfare first. In doing so, you will earn the trust and respect of your clients. This means speaking directly and honestly—not just about what is considered "best medicine," but about what is truly best for the situation. And sometimes, often, that means guiding families to end veterinary medicine when it is no longer serving the pet.

Quality of life should be the cornerstone of every treatment plan. Learn how to assess it, and more importantly, teach your clients how to assess it. If they choose not to follow your recommendations, they should not be left alone with a pet that may suffer a slow, painful death. Your role is to ensure they understand, to provide them with clarity, and to advocate for the pet above all else.

I say this from over 20 years in end-of-life practice, having witnessed firsthand what happens when pet parents are not properly educated. The difference between a peaceful passing and unnecessary suffering often comes down to how well we guide and prepare them.

This is the kind of veterinarian I hope you choose to be.

With respect and encouragement,
Dr. Christina Guttuso

Class of 2003

Gentlejourneyaz.com

Byron Farquer, DVM, CVA Class of 1991

All the best,

Chelsea Newby, CSU class of 2005

P.S. Even after years of smelling them, anal glads will still smell bad 😜

-You will never be perfect so stop expecting perfection in yourself. Instead expect excellence in your knowledge, in your skills, in your care of patient and client.

-Never forget why we are here, to take care of the animals and their people and support that amazing bond.

-Learn the difference between book knowledge and what works in the real world. There isn't just one type of pet or one type of client. They each come with unique challenges and philosophy that you will have to adjust to in order to serve them best. The book answer isn't always the only answer, nor is it necessarily the right answer for the patient or client in front of you. Stay flexible and focus on spectrum of care.

-Science is amazing, but without someone to apply the nuances it doesn't work. Remember there is an art to practice.

-Don't get caught up in imposter syndrome, and never let someone's words make you think you are less than you are.

-Lifelong learning is key. The profession advances faster than you can keep up, and will entirely change during your career. Stay up on the things that are important to you or that you excel at, because at some point you won't be able to keep up with everything.

-Life is way too short for drama. Don't get caught up in judgement, whining, backbiting, gossip or any other the other things that take away from our purpose.

This is an amazing profession and it will serve you well. Remember it is a priviledge to get to do what you love when so many people don't and value that every single day!

Dr. Shelley Brown, DVM, CVPP, GDVWHM, CVNN (lifelong learning!)

Amanda Thomas, DVM

Class of 2000, CSU

You are entering an amazing profession that encourages life long learning. Keep on learning and having fun while you do!

Nancy Bureau, DVM

Class of 2000