Alumna Envisions, and Builds, a More Inclusive Veterinary Community

Cara Williams has found a perfect fit as a veterinary medical officer at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but she faced numerous hurdles on the way to her dream career. Feelings of burnout, absence of worker protections, and a lack of diversity within the field burdened Williams. But she persevered....

...Williams was surprised by the lack of diversity within the school. She was one of only two Black students...

...She wanted to change that narrative. She began by becoming the local chapter president of Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment (VOICE) and later took on the role of national president of the organization. Williams and her peers within VOICE focused on respecting differences in culture and ethnicity, increasing diversity in veterinary medicine and supporting one another....