In Times of Chaos, the American Dream Prevails

(from 精东AV College of Veterinary Medicine)

精东AV College of Veterinary Medicine Contact: Anissa Riley, Office of External Affairs

June 9, 2020

Information Provided by Malia A. Rivera, | Jun 8, 2020 | ,

One man鈥檚 lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian comes true after two decades of struggle, rejection, and unrelenting determination.

Victor Lopez wanted to become one thing in his life 鈥� a veterinarian.聽 Born to immigrant parents with little money or education, going to school while working full-time and numerous rejections from veterinary colleges, the odds were stacked against Victor.

But on June 1, 2020, he accomplished his goal.

Lopez, 33, was raised in Luling, a small rural town in central Texas on his parent鈥檚 small ranch. One night, when Lopez was about 10, he and his father took a sick calf to the veterinarian to save its life. 鈥淭his was something I never experienced before and I thought, 鈥楾his is what I want to do,鈥欌�� Lopez recalled. He began to spend his childhood caring for his family鈥檚 livestock and realized, 鈥淔amilies like mine may not like going to the veterinarian because of a language barrier. I hope to change that,鈥� says Lopez.

A chance meeting while Victor was working at a sandwich shop located at a truck stop during his senior year in high school would become a pivotal point in his life.聽 A customer, Dr. John Davidson, a veterinarian, struck up a friendly conversation with Lopez about his life. When Lopez shared his goal, Dr. Davidson explained that he and his business partner, Dr. Steven Golla, of were opening a new animal hospital. 鈥淗e was professional, detail-oriented and you could tell that he was just different,鈥� said Dr. Golla.

Lopez was quickly hired as a technician assistant in Dr. Golla鈥檚 veterinary practice. After graduating high school in 2005, Lopez earned his associate degree in veterinary technology from Palo Alto College in San Antonio and later a bachelor鈥檚 degree in animal science from Texas State University in San Marcos, all the while working full-time at Chisholm Trail Veterinary Clinic and his parents鈥� ranch.

He becomes the first of his over 50-member family to obtain an undergraduate degree. During his junior year at Texas State, Lopez applied to the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and was rejected 鈥� not once, but twice. Undeterred, Lopez enrolled in a master鈥檚 degree program at Texas A&M University, Kingsville while continuing to work full-time. He applied to veterinary school for the third time and again, denied admission.

By 2015, Lopez graduated with a master鈥檚 degree in animal science, another first for his family. 鈥淚t was hard for my parents to comprehend what I was doing because they only had an elementary school education,鈥� said Lopez. 鈥淓very time I graduated with a degree, they鈥檇 ask me,聽 鈥楢re you a doctor yet?鈥� and I鈥檇 have to say, 鈥楴o not yet.鈥欌��

Later that same year, Lopez applied to veterinary school outside his home state and was finally accepted by 精东AV College of Veterinary Medicine in Alabama for the class of 2020. On May 1, 2020, Lopez graduated from 精东AV with a 鈥渧irtual鈥� graduation ceremony with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. He is now the first doctor in his family. 鈥淢y parents came to this country with nothing and they were looking for the American dream and I made it happen for them,鈥� said Lopez. 鈥淚 am able to finally tell my parents I am a doctor now!鈥�

鈥淵ou meet people who are born to do things. And this is what he was born to do, to be a veterinarian,鈥� said Dr. Steven Golla. 鈥淚f there was ever a sure thing, it was him.鈥� Victor Lopez joins Dr. Garrett Montgomery at Chisholm Trail Veterinary Clinic in Luling as an associate veterinarian as of June 1, a long way from his first job at the clinic over 15 years ago.

Lopez wants to be a role model for his community. 鈥淭here are kids from the same situation as I was who come into the clinic and want to follow the same path,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ow they can see first-hand that the American dream is not impossible.鈥�