Family and friends filled the Fowler Center at Arkansas State University on Saturday to celebrate the inaugural White Coat Ceremony for the College of Veterinary Medicine’s first class. This event is anticipated to become an annual tradition for the state’s first veterinary school.
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Dr. Heidi Banse, dean of the college, welcomed attendees, followed by remarks from Dr. Will McLean, interim provost and executive vice chancellor. The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Sarah Shedenhelm, president of the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association and a veterinarian at Baxter County Animal Clinic in Mountain Home.
Dr. Shedenhelm congratulated the students, saying, "On behalf of veterinarians across our state, I want to congratulate each and every one of you on earning your place in the inaugural class of the Arkansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Today is much bigger than the beginning of veterinary school. It marks the beginning of a new era for veterinary medicine in Arkansas." She shared her own journey, highlighting her earlier education at ASU-Mountain Home and the significance of this milestone, as many Arkansas students previously had to leave the state to pursue veterinary degrees.
The White Coat Ceremony symbolizes the students' formal entry into the veterinary profession, with each student receiving their white coat from a veterinarian while college faculty members observed. Students have been on campus since orientation began the first week of August. A dedication for the new College of Veterinary Medicine facility is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Tuesday, with classes set to start the following Wednesday, one week before the regular A-State semester begins.