GOLD: Graduate of the Last Decade
Valeria Perez: Veterinarian in the making
by Sarah Parker
Like many young children, Valeria Perez ’20, wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up. While for most this noble career goal is a passing fancy born of a child’s love for animals, Perez has never wavered in her passion for veterinary medicine and has been actively working towards making her childhood dream a reality since middle school.
“Vet school has been the plan since I was little,” Perez said. “I don’t remember an exact age, but I think it became more serious in seventh grade when I started to research and look into shadowing at clinics and seeing what it takes to get into vet school. I told my art teacher [what I wanted to do], and she put me in contact with the veterinarian at the Spurlock Road Veterinary Clinic.”
Perez began shadowing at the Nederland-based clinic during her freshman year of high school and eventually landed a job there as a kennel assistant while in college. This real-world work experience reinforced Perez’s drive and taught her that her desire to become a vet goes deeper than her love for animals.
Perez said she always knew she would be helping animals, but her work helping the humans who come along with them turned out to be every bit as rewarding.
“The helping people aspect really solidified my love for vet med. It started off with a love for animals, but it developed into wanting to help people through their animals. In Nederland, there’s a big Spanish-speaking community, and I was able to help that community as well.”
Having a clear picture of what she wanted to do with her future made taking the steps to get there more certain. Selecting Lamar University for her undergraduate studies was an easy choice. Perez’s elder brother, Javier Cabanillas ’13, B.A. political science, is an alumnus and had given her a good impression of the university.
Attending Lamar gave Perez the opportunity to stay close to her family and the Spurlock Road Vet Clinic, while preparing her to succeed in vet school at a more affordable cost. Perez received two scholarships, the Charles & Susan Gordon & Julia Gordon Gray Memorial Scholarship and Viona E. Long Scholarship in Biology.
“The biggest factor for me was staying close to home because I knew I was going to have to move away for vet school eventually. I loved [Lamar]. I really did. [The professors] would be able to recognize my face going in, and that was a really big part that I enjoyed.”
During her time at Lamar, Perez was involved in a range of extracurricular activities, including serving as a Lamar Ambassador. She also helped establish P.A.W.S. (Passion of Animal Welfare for Students), a student organization dedicated to the welfare and care of all animals. P.A.W.S. also works to create opportunities for pre-veterinary students and animal lovers of all majors to get involved in animal-related education and outreach on campus and within the greater Southeast Texas community.
After graduating from Lamar, Perez was accepted into Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, one of the top five U.S. programs. “I would recommend for anyone who wants to pursue pre-vet that Lamar is a great choice. You don’t need to go away to the vet school’s undergrad. I had more opportunities [for vet school] than I ever thought possible.”
Perez said the strong relationships she built with Lamar professors gave her the confidence she needed to succeed on the larger Ohio State campus. “It felt routine to walk up to the [Ohio State] professors and ask questions without feeling scared. That’s something that’s been very important throughout my years at vet school.”
Perez is now in her final year of the four-year program with plans to graduate in May 2026. “It feels very surreal,” she said. “I can’t believe I’m done already. I would not have survived undergrad; I would not have survived vet school without my family. They have been more than supportive, and I will never be able to thank them enough. I hope to graduate and keep making them proud.”