Valerie Ordonez

Name: Valerie Ordonez

Medical Title/Credentials: Veterinary Student 4th Year

IG: @valentology 

Location: California 

School/Program: Western University of Health Sciences CVM

Why did you choose your profession? I love this profession because I have always valued the idea of building community and long-lasting relationships. I feel that in small animal medicine, I am not just making an impact in the care of animals but I am also doing so in someone’s home. I am part of the human-animal bond experience and taking ownership that has taught me compassion, strength, and devotion towards this profession. Advocating for the health of my patients while also being able to infuse my Latinx roots has inspired me to find innovative ways to bond with my clients and build a stronger line of communication. 

Biggest Inspiration: My inspiration has always been my parents.  My parents have always supported me throughout my journey into Veterinary Medicine and with their support I have learned to work on the next building block of my career. They remind me to always give back to the community and believe in the aspects of hard work that will merit positivity.

Current Passion Project: I am working on creating a platform for members of the Latinx community in veterinary medicine called the Latinx Veterinary Gang! My culture has been a huge component to the success of my career and as a way to pay it forward, I am working hard to share stories from other Latinx veterinary students from across the world! I hope that one day students can find this platform as an opportunity to seek guidance and build relationships within the veterinary community.

Fun Fact 1: I was born in NY but I was actually raised in Guatemala! 

Fun Fact 2: I am definitely a dog person! Something about their spunky personalities just gets me every time!!

Do you have any advice for others interested in entering your field? My advice would be to have faith in every move you make to prosper in your career. Just because your road to success may not be in a straight line, it doesn’t mean you will not get there... it just means there are so many new opportunities to learn about yourself on the way there. Be open to trying new things even... my dad always said that failing isn’t the hard part, succeeding is because that means new doors open and finding out what those opportunities mean is even harder when it’s unknown. So allow yourself to take the chance!