Skip to content

Major Changes

When my parents separated a few weeks before I turned six, I was extremely upset, as any child would be. I was, however, heavily comforted by one thing: their separation meant that I would finally be able to get a cat. (My dad has severe allergies, but he was moving out.) I woke up on […]

Share

When my parents separated a few weeks before I turned six, I was extremely upset, as any child would be. I was, however, heavily comforted by one thing: their separation meant that I would finally be able to get a cat. (My dad has severe allergies, but he was moving out.) I woke up on my birthday to find a scraggly black shelter kitten on my bed. It was just the beginning of a long history of caring for animals. I trained our dogs, rode and cared for horses, and taught my cockatiel the “Addams Family” theme song.

I wrote about all these things in my Cornell admissions essay. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences requires aspiring students to apply to a major. Applicants are allowed to indicate a second choice, but I didn’t bother. I applied only in animal science. I knew I wanted to be a veterinarian—at least I thought I did.

Halfway through my first semester, things weren’t going well. I felt that my pre-med/pre-vet biology class was all about memorizing minute details. Chemistry was difficult for me; I knew I wasn’t going to receive a grade that would make a vet school application competitive. Due to low blood pressure, I passed out trying to wrestle a sheep in my animal science lab. I’m not saying that there is anything inherently wrong with Cornell’s science courses in general or the animal science major in particular, just that they weren’t for me. Before my sophomore year, I switched to communication. I’d always loved writing and public speaking, and I found the classes interesting.

My freshman year helped me discover that I don’t want to neuter dogs or vaccinate cats, though I do want to take care of them. I can volunteer at shelters, adopt pets, and work with animal advocacy groups no matter what I do for a living. Cornell didn’t kill the scientist in me, and it certainly didn’t kill the animal lover in me. Instead, coming to college helped me figure out what I’m good at.

And hey, if I ever need to wrestle a sheep, now I know how.

— Samantha LaFirst ’10
Share
Share