0 student walking a horse with a rider

Giving Back Through Mentoring

April 14, 2026

By Dr. Jenna (Hill 鈥15) Smith

I began my Houghton journey in 2011 as a biology major with a chemistry minor. I completed the first聽year聽Science聽Honors program, and聽was聽very involved聽in the聽Pre-health聽Professionals club and Sigma Zeta math and science honors society. I took quite a few of the upper-level biology electives, especially during my last couple of years there. These classes really helped prepare me for the聽challenging聽curriculum that was coming聽in聽graduate school.

I applied to veterinary聽school聽my senior year and was accepted to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. The聽course聽load was intense in depth and breadth, but聽I felt I聽had a solid foundation from Houghton. I graduated from Cornell in 2019 and started working at Perry Veterinary Clinic聽in Perry, New York,聽as an associate veterinarian. I became a partner at Perry Vet in the beginning of 2023. Currently, I practice both small and large animal medicine, splitting my time between cats and dogs in the office, and dairy cows and other large animals on farms throughout聽Western New聽York. I even go to calls at the Houghton Equestrian center鈥攖alk聽about coming full circle!

Jenna Hill with a horse

One of the joys in this profession is the opportunity I have to mentor students鈥攚hether聽they鈥檙e in veterinary聽school or are in their聽pre-vet聽studies.聽Given聽Perry Veterinary Clinic鈥檚聽proximity to Houghton, we聽have the privilege to聽host quite a few pre-vet students, including聽Zachary Wolfer 鈥24, who is now a D.V.M. candidate at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and聽current pre-veterinary student聽Greg Loper 鈥28.聽This is聽a great聽opportunity聽for me to be able to give back to a community that gave me so much. Recently,聽I鈥檝e聽had some students join me who went to Houghton for聽their聽undergraduate聽and are now in veterinary聽school.

During these externships,聽we always have聽ample time to chat in the聽truck in聽between calls. The conversation聽inevitably聽goes back to聽our聽fairly聽universal聽Houghton experiences鈥”Organic chemistry was so challenging, wasn鈥檛 it?鈥 or鈥淒id you love microbiology?鈥濃疢aybe聽鈥淒id you聽take聽a聽Mayterm聽off-campus?鈥 or聽鈥淲ere you purple or gold?鈥澛(Team Purple!)

And often,聽most commonly鈥斺淲asn鈥檛 Houghton the best? I loved it there.鈥

Jenna (Hill 鈥15) Smith, D.M.V.聽is a large and small animal veterinary and partner聽with聽Perry Veterinary Clinic in Perry, New York. She聽holds a聽bachelor of science聽in biology from 黑料科 and a聽doctorate of veterinary medicine聽from Cornell University

鈥淢y time at 黑料科 was instrumental聽for聽my success in veterinary school and provided me with the foundation to excel聽immediately聽at Kansas State University.鈥疶he pre-health professions program challenged me academically, offered me research opportunities, and provided me with connections to gain valuable experiences to help bolster my application.鈥疶he incredible support from faculty I received both when I was a student and after graduation has had a lasting and meaningful impact on my professional journey.鈥

Zachary Wolfer聽鈥24聽
DVM Candidate, Class of 2028聽
Kansas State University聽

Recent Articles