My name is Zachary Dvornicky-Raymond, I am a member of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine’s class of 2019. As far back as I can remember, I have dreamed of working with wildlife and making an impact on conservation worldwide. Now that I am in vet school, it is time for me to make that dream a reality.

I applied to the Expanding Horizons program because I felt that this was my opportunity to take the first step into my career. By spending my summer in Namibia working with the Cheetah Conservation Fund, I hope that I will be able to determine with complete certainty whether or not this path is the one that I will walk in life. I am confident that this trip will bolster my decision. I look forward to the veterinary experience, the landscape, and engaging with the people and the culture throughout my journey.

My plan is to help further the progress made by the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF). My main objective is to work with their staff to improve the Livestock Guard Dog Project, which is a program that was developed as a part of CCF’s multifaceted approach to conservation.

The Livestock Guard Dog Project has been extremely successful in the past, not only in reducing cheetah mortalities, but also in improving the outlook that local communities have toward cheetahs. However, the program has encountered some setbacks lately, with a few of the dog breedings being unsuccessful in the past year.

I hope that over the summer I will be able to apply what I’ve learned at Cornell – through the curriculum, faculty mentorship, shadowing, and research experience – to the Livestock Guard Dog Project in order to address some of the underlying reproductive issues. I hope to work with the farms where these dogs are placed as well, since I feel it is very important to gain insight into the lives of the people that our work will affect. After all, conservation is just as much about improving human lives as it is about protecting and preserving the lives of animals.

This opportunity means so much to me, and I hope that I will be able to have a lasting impact on CCF’s efforts. I can’t wait to embark on this journey of learning, growth, and adventure. See you all when I return!