FOUNDATION TIES Kevin Shrewsberry • Recipient • Calcasieu Kennel Club Scholarship • Rotary Club of Greater Lake Charles Scholarship • H.C. Drew Scholarship
An Amazing Creation “Starting my first semester at McNeese State University, I began learning real-world applications for my life’s career. I learned how to worm and brand cattle, castrate pigs and dissect other animals. My goal is to work in cattle production. Cattle are such an amazing creation,” said Kevin Shrewsberry, a junior majoring in agricultural sciences with a pre-veterinary medicine concentration. Kevin is the son of Keith, a lead analyst at Louisiana Pigment, and Cindy, a self-employed licensed marriage and family therapist and a two-time McNeese alumna. As a child, Kevin would accompany his mother on trips to the vet’s office. He was fascinated with animals and science from an early age. Hamilton Christian Academy’s strong science curriculum prepared Kevin well for his intended career as a large-animal veterinarian. He has gained handson experience working with small animals at Gill Animal Clinic and with large animals, particularly cattle, at Bayou South Animal Hospital. Kevin chose McNeese based on its pre-veterinary medicine concentration.
“McNeese just felt right. When I entered the Harold and Pearl Dripps Department of Agricultural Sciences, it drew me in. I found it intriguing and cool that the faculty seemed to really take an interest in their students. They have helped mold my future,” stated Kevin. “Tom Shields [assistant professor of agriculture] has been my most influential instructor. He combines textbook material with practical experience to show students what they can do with their own sheep, goats or cows. I confess that my initial motivation for pursuing vet school was primarily financial gain. I now realize that by helping animals, I will also be helping people. It takes time, money and good genetics to produce competitive cattle. I want our cattle to compete with Texas cows. Hopefully, my legacy will be that, ‘He gave his best…’,” said Kevin. Kevin is a recipient of a Calcasieu Kennel Club Scholarship, a Rotary Club of Greater Lake Charles Scholarship and an H.C. Drew Scholarship. “The cost of books is unbelievably expensive. I appreciate every scholarship I have received. The donors have stayed with me all the way through school and have been big blessings in my life,” said Kevin.
“My choice to enroll in the McNeese Department of Agricultural Sciences has been one of the best decisions I have made. I owe everything I have learned and will continue to learn to the faculty in that department.”
Kevin is a quiet, serious student and highly motivated to be accepted into veterinary medicine school. The odds of a student being accepted into veterinary medicine school are low compared to acceptance into medical or law school. Since there are so few vet schools, only eight of every 100 qualified students applying get accepted. Every state has several medical and law schools but not every state has a vet school. Dr. Edward Ferguson Assistant Professor and Adviser Harold and Pearl Dripps Department of Agricultural Sciences
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