Leopoldine Viollet

Leo (Leopoldine) Viollet will be graduating in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pre-Veterinary Science. Leo was born in Paris, France, and moved with her family to the United States at the age of 9 in pursuit of greater life and educational opportunities. She was first introduced to animal science in high school where she trained and volunteered for Guide Dogs for the Blind, conditioning service pups up to adulthood. She is now officially matriculated at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine where she will be pursuing her DVM for the next four years.

Leo originally began her undergraduate career at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, where she majored in biology for two years and gained a strong academic background in core science courses, which would later give her a boost in advanced academic settings. While in Utah, Leo received Permanent Residency in the United States, granting her the authorization to work in the country as a non-U.S. citizen. She immediately pursued a job as a veterinary technician at the Avenues Pet Clinic, a local small animal clinic run by Dr. Brenda Ponce. Under Dr. Ponce’s guidance, Leo quickly fell in love with veterinary medicine and the honorable life led by veterinary professionals. With the support and encouragement of the clinic, Leo made the decision to move across the country to attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst for its highly recognized pre-veterinary and animal science program. 

Maneuvering through the COVID-19 pandemic as a transfer student, Leo became quickly aware of the competitive nature of veterinary science and sought animal experience around UMass Amherst. While catching up with the basic animal science courses offered by the VASCI Department, she began working at the South Amherst Veterinary Hospital as a veterinary technician under the counseling of Dr. Marci Lowy. There, Leo was able to compare differences and similarities in the two clinics she had worked at and deeply appreciate the veterinary medical discipline and education that the doctors shared. In both clinics, Leo was responsible for operating light microscopy and in-house machinery (CBC, centrifuge, autoclave), performing X-rays (multiple views), inserting IV catheters, administering fluids (IV & SubQ), assisting in small animal surgeries (spay, neuter, mass removal) and dental procedures, monitoring anesthesia, mastering restraint and control in stressful and demanding situations, performing canine and feline phlebotomy and diagnostic tests, and applying polite and respectable customer service skills.

Quickly acclimating to her new campus, Leo began to get involved in multiple opportunities around the community. With the advantage of being bilingual, she worked as an online French Instructor for Inlingua Utah and led a French course in conversational, speech, literary and auditory French for the completion of the Defense Language Proficiency Test offered to military personnel. She became a Teaching Assistant for Dr. Hélène Cousin’s course in Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Animals, and a Teaching Assistant for Dr. Klaus Becker’s Veterinary Microbiology Laboratory. She took up roles in student organizations such as being a peer mentor for the Pre-Vet and Animal Science Club and the Vice President of the oSTEM Club (out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), and was a member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council for the College of Natural Sciences for several semesters. These leadership experiences, along with engagement and immersion into the UMass Amherst campus community granted her the confidence to aim even higher.

While completing the core requirements for the major, Leo developed a special aptitude for microbiology and decided to explore the field concurrent with animal science. Halfway through her junior year and after multiple extensive interviews, she was accepted into the Goodell Laboratory in the Microbiology Department, a distinguished microbiology laboratory running several projects funded by the National Science Foundation. Under the direction and supervision of Dr. Barry Goodell, Dr. Reuben Shipway and postdoctoral investigator Gabriel Perez, Leo performed extractions and dissections of shipworm specimens and studied the anatomy of Teredo navalis. She assisted in HPLC chromatography and UV-Vis spectrophotometry and practiced confocal light microscopy and FISH imaging. She was also in charge of conducting independent anti-microbial assays as well as probing organs with micro-pH meters, and gained valuable skills in novel technology, research, and critical thinking.          

During the summer before her senior year, Leo was hired as a livestock student employee at the UMass Hadley Farm, where she was trained in large animal husbandry under Livestock Manager, Alice Newth and Assistant Livestock Manager, Steph Puro. Leo with the team of student workers complete routine chores and observation on goats, sheep, lambs, kids, cows, calves and horses, and work to ensure enclosure sanitation, animal health and welfare. Leo also takes part in seasonal duties including assessing pasture quality and planning rotational grazing, assisting births and pregnancies, and completing treatments such as vaccinations, deworming and medication. She gained an incredible amount of large animal experience at the Hadley Farm, which has only broadened her curiosity and appreciation for different fields of veterinary medicine. 

Leo has been fortunate enough to have been offered a place at the Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine as well as a place at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine and has since chosen to join Iowa State’s CVM Class of 2027 for the college’s prestigious and reputable veterinary education. She is eternally grateful for the opportunities and skills that UMass Amherst has equipped her with and is excited to finish off strong with a 3.9 GPA. Though undecided in which area of veterinary medicine she might choose to concentrate her studies, she hopes to enter academia someday and educate as a way to give back to the American veterinary society. Leo also plans to apply for U.S. citizenship in October of 2023.