Page 10 - ACT Paws and Hooves - Autumn 2023

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Page 10 - ACT Paws and Hooves - Autumn 2023
P. 10

Empowering




       our future




       lifesavers




                                                                                 Amber our ACT Catt Scholar


       We work with charitable trusts,     skills, conduct research and build   that Amber, our second ACT Catt
       individual donors, and alumni to    contacts. However, due to extra travel   Scholar graduated this summer.
       create scholarships, grants and     and accommodation costs it can be    Amber told us,
       bursaries. These help our students   an expensive part of the course. Josh
       overcome barriers to higher         was awarded an EMS+ Bursary to                It is difficult to
       education and make a meaningful     attend a placement at a specialist
       impact in research and clinical     exotics hospital in Wales.           express my gratitude
       care. The potential of philanthropic   Josh was excited to secure the    for my scholarship -
       gifts is huge. From helping         placement of his dreams but told us   without this help, I would
       students enter the profession       “I quickly started to panic when the
       of their dreams, to empowering      realism of financial constraints hit   not have been able to
       research into endangered species.                                        continue studying and
                                           me”. As this is Josh’s second degree,
       Budding exotics vet                 he’s not entitled to a student loan. To   my life would look very
                                           support his studies Josh has a part-
       helped by bursary                   time job and would need to commute   different now.
                                           to London at weekends for his shifts   "The scholarship has not only helped
       Vet students undertake at least 26   plus find accommodation in Wales.
       weeks of practical work experience,   An EMS+ Bursary helped Josh meet   me massively, but it's also helped
       known as Extra Mural Studies (EMS).   these costs.                       my mum. Being a single mum and
       These career-informing placements                                        medically retired she naturally worried
       offer a valuable opportunity to practise   The placement made Josh realise   about me getting through university
                                           “the years of vet school were paying   without financial support. The
        Josh gives a panther chameleon a   off”. He gained exposure to lots of   scholarship helped relieve this worry
        health check on his EMS placement                                       for us both. I would not be a veterinary
                                           interesting cases, from a tortoise
                                           who had a shell debridement to a     nurse without the Catt Scholarship,
                                           goose who had an enucleation. He     I really do owe my future career to the
                                           commented, “The scope of cases and   generosity of Elizabeth Catt."
                                           hands-on experience was absolutely    Amber suturing in theatre
                                           unforgettable. Without the bursary it
                                           would have been near impossible to
                                           gain the experience I did.”


                                           Vet nurse graduates
                                           thanks to legacy gift

                                           Unable to fulfil her dreams of working
                                           with animals, Elizabeth Catt left us a
                                           generous gift in her will. She wanted
                                           to help students overcome financial
                                           constraints to study veterinary nursing
                                           at the RVC. We’re thrilled to announce

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