This article was originally printed in the Sept/Oct 2026 issue of the California Veterinarian magazine.

Growing up in a matriarchal family in Zimbabwe, I was assigned the role of the family shepherd from an early age. I took our animals to graze every day after school. I helped name our cattle, sheep, goats, cats, dogs, and pigeons.

I trained our cattle to plow the crop fields and protected them from predators. I treated our animals for many ailments using plants, a skill I learned from my mother and grandmother, whose passion for our farm animals shaped my own.

At the time, I had never heard of a veterinarian, but I knew my livelihood was dependent on the health and well-being of the animals in our care.

I learned more about the veterinary profession at the age of 15 when I entered high school. A light bulb went off in my head—my lifelong connection to animals could become a career dedicated to caring for them, learning their biology, and keeping them healthy. My high school biology teacher became an inspiring mentor who provided me with all the information and requirements for admission to veterinary school.

With only one veterinary school in my country and just 25 seats available each year, my teacher helped me set target grades to ensure I qualified for admission, setting the course of my career and helping me achieve my dream.

During veterinary school, I enjoyed working with all veterinary species, but I gravitated towards large animals. I was inspired by the many effective, dedicated professors who not only excelled in their fields but also found joy in teaching. Their passion inspired me to consider a career as a veterinary instructor myself.

At the same time, I realized that becoming a teaching veterinarian required advanced specialty training. One of the most memorable and inspirational lessons I received from a favorite professor was to be kind to our patients, ourselves, and our colleagues.

Following graduation, I worked in a mixed animal practice and learned a lot about running a veterinary business and gained valuable experience in clinical medicine. However, I could not ignore the itch to become a teaching veterinarian. I was fortunate enough to meet another mentor from Auburn University who was our external examiner in my final year of veterinary school.

He provided me with information on how to apply for internships and residency programs in North America. I was fortunate enough to match with the University of Missouri-Columbia for my internship, later completing a residency in food animal medicine and surgery there as well.

Throughout this journey, I began to appreciate that becoming a teaching veterinarian was a slow but steady process. Not surprisingly, I met more outstanding mentors during my residency who inspired me to complete a PhD in dairy immunology, which had always been a passion of mine during veterinary school.

Even after becoming an instructor myself, I continued to wonder how the exceptional teachers I encountered in veterinary school, and later worked alongside at UC Davis, had acquired the skills that made them such effective teachers. One of my mentors at UC Davis encouraged me to consider training in veterinary medicine education.