St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) commemorated its 25th anniversary during the VetBolus continuing education conference held this past fall in Grenada. SVM alumni, administration, and faculty honored the milestone during the conference’s Alumni Welcome Reception, which took place on SGU’s campus on November 8.
During the celebration, Tara Paterson, DVM ’03, president of the School of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Association (SVMAA), reflected on the School’s 25 years in a speech.
“As much as the SGU campus and the SVM faculty have changed, at least one thing remains the same,” said Dr. Paterson. “Our students are committed to their education. In my experience, when our students go to clinicals, they continue to excel and represent SGU well.”
“On behalf of all SVM alumni,” Dr. Paterson continued, “I want to say thank you to St. George’s University for the opportunity to make our dreams of veterinary medicine a reality.”
Joshua Ames, DVM ’10, of Greer, SC, attended the VetBolus conference. As this was his first time back in Grenada since graduating from SGU, Dr. Ames was delighted to see the advancements and increased alumni presence in the School of Veterinary Medicine.
“It was amazing to see how much the campus has grown with new facilities and study areas,” he explained. “It was great to see alumni returning to the University and being able to mentor and connect with the current students.”
Another SGU graduate in attendance, Kelsey Atamanchuk, DVM ’21, of Harriman, TN, shared the sentiment.
“It was wonderful being able to see both the school I know and love, as well as the improvements,” Dr. Atamanchuk said. “It was a mixture of nostalgia and pride for the school that allowed me to be where I am today. I also enjoyed getting to see some of my previous professors and swap stories about cases.”
Approximately 80 SVM alumni attended VetBolus in Grenada this year. VetBolus is a continuing education conference for veterinary professionals and leaders. Its mission is to deliver practical and engaging continuing education content in locations around the world. The conference was founded by SVM alum, Aaron Spacher, DVM ’17, who co-launched VetBolus in early 2022.
Dr. Ames said that he hopes to see more continuing education opportunities at SGU like VetBolus because it is an opportunity for non-SGU graduates to appreciate the campus and all the University has to offer.
“I talked with several veterinarians who had never been to SGU before and were very impressed by the campus and in awe of Grenada,” said Dr. Ames. “Returning to Grenada and seeing how SGU has grown made me even prouder to be an alum of the SGU School of Veterinary Medicine.”
Brendon LaGrenade, EdD, vice provost for Institutional Advancement and director of Alumni Affairs, credited VetBolus for helping make this celebration possible and for boosting alumni engagement.
“Thanks to VetBolus, we were able to host many of our SVM alumni here in Grenada, which made this silver anniversary celebration very special,” said Dr. LaGrenade. “Our alumni are the best representation of our success as a university and the same holds true for our School of Veterinary Medicine.”
In acknowledgement of SVM’s 25th anniversary, Dr. Neil Olson, dean of SVM, offered this message:
“As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of St. George’s School of Veterinary Medicine, we reflect with pride on the journey that has brought us here. This milestone is a testament to the dedication of our remarkable faculty, the commitment of our staff, the success of our alumni, and the passion of our students. Thank you for being the heart and soul of our school, driving us forward as we continue to inspire, innovate, and make a difference in the world.”
