KOKOMO, Ind. – For Aaron Lorenz, being a veterinarian was never a question. It was a calling.
This fall, Lorenz, a senior at Indiana University Kokomo, will start the next chapter of his academic career at the Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine. With only 28 veterinary schools in North America, admission is competitive. Nationwide, only about 10 to 15 percent of applicants are admitted. He was one of 100 selected from among more than 1,600 applicants for the program.
Growing up on a farm, he witnessed firsthand the work and dedication it takes to care for several animals. When he was 13, one of his family’s horses passed away from colic. A large animal veterinarian was unable to make it out to their farm in time to save the horse, and the event has stayed with Lorenz throughout his life.
“Not being able to get a vet out to our farm quick enough to save our horse pushed me into that direction,” said the Peru native. “I’m just one person, but that just means there is one more community that I can serve and fill the need.”
Pre-medical education at IU Kokomo is his family’s tradition, he said, because his father, two uncles, grandmother and several cousins are alumni, and all went on to serve in the medical field. His father, who serves as a family doctor in Peru, inspired Lorenz to become a veterinarian. While he enjoys the more scientific aspect of medicine, his first love is agriculture and working with farm animals. As a veterinarian, Lorenz hopes to bridge the two into a career that will serve his community.
Lorenz graduates with a degree in biological and physical sciences with a double minor in biology and chemistry in May.
He cites the one-on-one interaction with professors and students as one of the things that helped him the most during his time at IU Kokomo. While Lorenz will be going to a larger school after graduating, he will still be working one-on-one with his professors, fellow classmates and in the future, clients.
While his time at IU Kokomo is coming to an end, Lorenz has made a lasting impression on many of his professors, including Christian Chauret, dean of the School of Sciences.
“He has an excellent ability to understand the material,” Chauret said. “He has demonstrated interest and passion for the veterinary medicine field and getting accepted into Purdue is a great achievement for Aaron.”
After receiving his veterinarian certification, Lorenz hopes to continue to serve his community in large or food animal medicine through his own practice and encourage anyone with an interest in veterinary medicine to do the same.
“You can’t be afraid to get dirty and work hard, both physically and academically,” Lorenz said.
Story written by Braden Dunlap. Braden is an intern in the Office of Media and Marketing.
Indiana University Kokomo celebrates 75 years as north central Indiana’s choice for higher education.
