Victoria Mello

Victoria Mello graduated cum laud with a B.S. in Pre-Veterinary Sciences in 2015.

Vicky credits UMass with being a friendly place with plenty of opportunities to get involved and experience hands-on learning. “If I didn't take the plunge and get involved in everything I could sign up for, I don't think I could have made it this far in my pursuit of becoming a veterinarian. I learned everything from basic husbandry, to medical care and even helped deliver lambs. It was hands on from day one and it really helped fuel my passion for veterinary sciences. I had the opportunity to work in a research laboratory starting my junior year and by the end of my senior year had completed an honors thesis. All of the faculty members were more than happy to sit and talk with me and answer all my questions. I feel I made some great connections.”

Vicky co-directed Bay State Livestock Classic during her junior and senior years. The Classic is an exciting annual event that provides students with the experience of showing animals that they have trained and fitted for judging. Vicky was a captain for the UMass NESA team preparing the team to compete against Penn State, Delval, Rutgers, and the Universities of New Hampshire, Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Maine in livestock judging, quiz team competitions, review paper presentations and original research presentations. Vicky participated in the Dorset Sheep, Poultry and Boer Goat management groups, was a mentor with Animal Science Peer Mentor group and an officer in the Pre-Vet Club. In addition she competed on the UMass Women's Ultimate Frisbee Team for three years as a cutter.

In the summer preceding her junior year, Vicky traveled to Calaga, Australia to volunteer at Walkabout Wildlife Park where she observed the day to day business of running a rehabilitation center for wildlife and experienced the diversity of Australia's unique ecosystem.

Vicky will be matriculating to Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in August of 2015. She plans to complete a joint DVM and Master’s degree for Laboratory Animal Medicine. Because of the positive lab based experiences she had at UMass, she would like to ensure that animals in research settings get to live the best life possible and that they are happy and healthy.