As a Biology major with a pre-veterinary concentration, Elisabeth (Ellie) Vogl’s love for animals rivals her passion for learning. A highly motivated student, Vogl has earned multiple honors for academic excellence, including the Richard Siegfried Award, the Susan Smith Award for Student Excellence, the SUNY ACT Excellence and Student Initiative Scholarship for Student Excellence and the 9/11 Memorial Scholarship through the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association.
A self-described “go, go, go” person, Vogl credits her time at Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women in Rochester with shaping her strong sense of self-discipline and time management. When she arrived at SUNY Oneonta, she quickly filled her schedule with academic and extracurricular opportunities, finding energy and fulfillment in learning, involvement and continually pushing herself to grow.
Why SUNY Oneonta?
I initially attended Monroe Community College in Rochester, and I loved it. I was able to work full-time, I lived at home and saved a lot of money—but I kept coming over to Oneonta to visit friends. When I graduated from MCC, I wasn't exactly sure where I wanted to go next until I realized that transferring here was an option. I looked online, saw how to transfer, and I signed up for the Biology program.
Having known she wanted to enter the medical field, everything clicked into place when Ellie Vogl discovered SUNY Oneonta’s pre-veterinary Biology program.
About My Major
I chose Biology because I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field. I wasn't sure exactly what when I chose the major, but when I realized that they had a pre-veterinary program here, and everything just clicked into place.
I am hoping to attend veterinary school. So Tufts, Cornell—any vet school. I'm going to earn my four-year D.V.M. degree, and then after…be a vet! I'm still looking into large- and small-animal emergency veterinary medicine. I'm figuring out what I’ll do in the field because I love everything, and it's hard to narrow it down. But the experience I've had throughout Oneonta has helped me realize how much I do want to work with animals.
Favorite Classes
Oh, gosh. I'll start with parasitology. I loved parasitology, mainly because I was also doing research in it. So I would spend Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the labs and, on Tuesdays, I would go to the Biological Field station and dissect fish and look at the different acanthocephalan, nematodes and other parasites. Aside from that, I also liked organic chemistry, and Dr. Cossey, my professor, has this great way of teaching the class.
Best Professors?
I work with Dr. Bastiaans a lot for my biology degree, but I can't say I have a favorite. Dr. Cossey's teaching style is great. Dr. Reyda set up the lab and taught class in almost a clinical setting for parasitology, which really helped me. Dr. Zalatan taught me how to utilize information, and he had very difficult tests, but that made me study even harder. And then there’s Paul Lord, who was my professor in my first semester here. Amazing guy. I love him. He's such a character, and I always like to say “hi.”
My Activities
I'm part of the Pre-Health Honor Society, Alpha Epsilon Delta and Beta Beta Beta, the Biology Honor Society. I'm the President of Hippies for Hope. I am in the 1889 Society as a student ambassador. I'm an Honorary Student Director for the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and I do a variety of other things here and there.
Best Experiences
I had the amazing opportunity to travel twice last summer. I went on a faculty-led program with Dr. Allen, the dean of the School of Sciences, to Guatemala, where I did some water quality analysis classes and learned about the culture of Guatemala. And then I also was given a grant through the Tyler Center for Global Studies to go to Tokyo, Japan, and work at Tokyo Metropolitan University in their molecular neuroscience and neurobiology labs, studying mice and conducting research I never thought I could have done.
My Internship
I interned at Super Heroes Humane Society during my first semester here. They are a local animal shelter, and after I interned with them one semester, I wanted to do it again. I interned with them for a second semester and spent 160 hours just working all the shelter opportunities that I could pick up. And that's where I learned that I really enjoy shelter medicine.
They knew how much I wanted to learn, and they would teach me anything I wanted. I learned how to administer the FVRCP vaccine and perform post-op care for a spay/neuter procedure. I learned about adoptions, intakes and anything else I could ask about. And the best part was I actually got my dog, Scoobs, from Super Heroes!
Advice for Future Red Dragons
For students who are new to SUNY Oneonta, I'd say jump into whatever you want. Apply for everything you can. I mean, the worst thing you can do is get rejected. If you apply to all these opportunities, there's a chance you'll get one. I went to Tokyo because I applied for an opportunity. I did parasitology research. I do all sorts of veterinary stuff because of the fact that I've asked.
As far as Biology majors, definitely studying, having good time management, doing your work the day that it's assigned, and doing the textbook readings. If there are optional activities that will help you learn, I always recommend doing that, but also figuring out which way you learn best. I'm not always the best with textbook reading. I'm better with hands-on, doing something and reenacting it.