AVC student Jessica D’Amico wins 2019 Dr. Jack Walther Leadership Award

Congratulations to Jessica D’Amico, AVC Class of 2020, for winning a 2019 Jack Walther Leadership Award at the Western Veterinary Conference, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, in late February.

This annual award recognizes veterinary students who portray leadership and promote a lifelong service to the profession. This year, the award was bestowed upon 37 DVM students from Canada and the United States for their leadership skills at their schools and service to the veterinary profession.

Jessica has taken on a number of leadership roles at AVC, including vice-president of the Society of Atlantic Veterinary Students; treasurer of her class; president of the AVC Animal Welfare Club; Peer Helper, AVC Wellness Committee; wildlife representative and volunteer for the AVC Wildlife Service; and DVM student representative on the UPEI Animal Care Committee. She has been a piping plover guardian for the Island Nature Trust for several summers, and she has written several animal care articles that have been published in The Guardian’s Animal Talk column.

“In reading about Dr. Walther’s life, I was most impressed about a foundational principle guiding his life: the belief that to better help animals we must not only promote and improve the science of animal care, but we must also empower individuals involved in animal care. Receiving this award is special to me because it confirms that I am on the right path to improving myself and empowering others as we all work together towards helping animals and each other. Thank you to the Western Veterinary Conference and to Dr. Jack Walther and family for this honor. I will take the WVC experience and Dr. Jack Walther’s influence with me throughout my career as I aim to support my colleagues, clients, and the veterinary community with leadership roles and especially by example.”