CCVM Alumni

January 26, 2026

By Jens Odegaard. Photos courtesy of Dr. Wendy Merideth (second from left in center photo).

Marine iguanas foraging amongst reefs. Giant tortoises meandering across beaches. Cormorants swimming with flightless wings. 

We're putting our student ambassadors(Link is external) in the limelight. Students from all four years of veterinary classes bring their expertise and experience to bear in helping you learn more about the DVM program and the student experience here at the Oregon State University Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Shelby Matsuoka | About Me

Photos courtesy of Dr Darin Hisanaga

Dr. Kaitlyn Vander Pas, alumni of Oregon State University Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine and big Beaver fan, now works at Oceanlake Veterinary Clinic and uses her education to better her community.

A decade ago, Dr. Brea Sandness was gowning up to take a hands-on role in her first surgeries in veterinary school. Today, Sandness spends her time performing surgeries with her one-time mentors and teaching new classes of students at her alma mater, Oregon State University's Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine.

Oregon State University Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine alumni Dr. Amy Harbord, DVM '17, performs surgery at Aumsville Animal Clinic.

Veterinary student Kyndall Zieglowsky, class of 2023, inspects an owl's eye. 

Dr. Kadie Anderson (right) doing an exam on a spider crab. Photo courtesy of Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.

 

Imagine you’re a doctor. Each day you get up and go to work. But you’re not just treating one type of patient. Some days your patients have fins. Some days they have shells. Some days they have fur and fangs. Some days they breathe through gills. Some days they have backbones. Some days they don’t.

Dr. Sarah Garver, Benny, Chupi and Mitch Garver.

Dr. Sarah Garver (née Jogi) and her husband Mitch wanted to get a dog, but the circumstances didn’t seem right. It was the summer of 2018, and Dr. Garver had just graduated from Oregon State University’s Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine with her degree in veterinary medicine. Mitch’s work meanwhile takes him around the country for seven to eight months of the year, so they were long distance. They were also working on building a house in their hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico.