Learn About Me & the S.M.A.R.T. Internship!

Hi! My name is Chloe Bauer, and I am a Minnesotan through and through. After receiving my BA in the spring of 2021 from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, I was set on pursuing my dream of becoming a veterinarian. I applied to many different veterinary schools and got a job as a Technician Assistant at a local veterinary clinic, Corcoran Pet Care Center. The clinic gave me an array of experiences including the opportunity to interact with patients & owners, as well as learn necessary technical skills. I received a rejection letter from the veterinary programs I applied to, but I was determined to continue working towards my goal. I learned a lot from this process and did what I needed to do to make my application more competitive. Facing this adversity was challenging, and I cannot imagine going through this process without Jesus by my side. God’s plan doesn’t always look the way we want it to look, and my prayers were answered, just not quite the way I thought they should be. The year that followed was not only a walk of faith in Jesus, but a walk with others who have faith in me, giving me new opportunities and support. I faced a lot of doubt in myself and in what career God wanted me to be pursuing.

Currently, I am a second-year student at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. My veterinary focus is small animal medicine, and I am planning to pursue a small animal internship in general practice or surgery. I’ve been challenged by my experiences thus far to expand my skill set that will aid my future patients, clients, and team. It’s important to have a thorough understanding of the clients I’ll be interacting with, as unbiased, perceptive thinking makes an enormous impact on each experience and changes the outcome of the medicine that is being practiced. My ultimate career goal is to glorify God by using the gifts He has blessed me with to be His light in this world.

I hope to work towards advancing veterinary surgical procedures to broaden patient care options that provide personalized options to each patient’s needs for significant improvement. Another goal is to open a practice that serves my community. Along with my current position at Corcoran Pet Care Center and other volunteer opportunities, I plan to participate in additional experiences like the S.M.A.R.T. internship program in Athens, Greece this summer. Let’s be S.M.A.R.T Greek International Campaign puts a focus on the community of Kouvaras and provides veterinary interns with practical experiences that we wouldn’t see in our typical communities. My goals for this program are to gain a meaningful culturally rich experience, advance my surgical skills, and understand community medicine practices that can make a huge impact on the surrounding area. Attached is a link to learn more about the organization: https://www.letsbesmart.org/internship-program . One of the great things about this program is that it pushes us beyond the basics, including community projects, fundraising, social media promotion for adoptions, and rescue techniques. All of these, work to support and heal the community and families in need. By being accepted into this program, I have the opportunity to continue pushing myself to grow outside of my local experiences and advance my skill sets that ultimately will help the veterinary community.

The most important way I have been able to pursue my dream of becoming a veterinarian and gain acceptance into internship programs like the one at S.M.A.R.T. organization, is by putting my full trust in Jesus. I hope to glorify God by utilizing the gifts He has blessed me with, as well as be an example of Christ and his love, as animals are a bridge to bringing humans into meaningful relationship. Being Christ-centered allows me to live a life more like Him, love and share Him through my veterinary passion. I embrace the opportunity to nurture relationships, not only in my present circle, but with the ones I will make in Kouvaras - and bring others to know Jesus.

How can you share this journey with me?

First and foremost, please pray for these internships and how they might have an impact on the lives of those searching for Christ, and for the way they can improve the lives of the animals. Secondly, I am asking you to consider making a donation, via GiveSendGo, towards the travel and registration fees to my internship this summer, to support me in serving the animals within the communities in need, and through making connections to spread the gospel and Jesus’ love.