Stamm earns Orr Award
Friday, February 24, 2023
Media Contact: Kaylie Wehr | Coordinator, Marketing and Public Relations | 405-744-6740 | kaylie.wehr@okstate.edu
Mandy Stamm of Houston is the 2022 recipient of the Dean Harry W. Orr Memorial Award Scholarship. The Dean Orr Award honors the college’s second dean and goes to the top-ranking third-year veterinary student.
“This award genuinely means a lot to me because it really lessens the financial stress of vet school,” Stamm said. “It’s also a boost of encouragement that there are people out there supporting you and wanting you to do well.”
As far back as Stamm can remember, she’s always wanted to be a veterinarian. When deciding what university to attend, Oklahoma State University was an easy choice.
“Even though I grew up in Texas, a lot of my family members went to OSU,” Stamm said. “I’m happy to carry on the tradition of being a Cowboy.”
As she moves forward with her career, Stamm’s favorite part of her journey to becoming a veterinarian will always be the people she met along the way.
“I have made some of the most meaningful friendships I’ve ever had in vet school,” she said.
In addition to her friendships, Stamm also cultivated strong relationships with professors and clinicians.
“I feel like everyone I’ve met here has impacted me in some positive way,” Stamm said.
As a fourth-year student, Stamm is now participating in clinical rotations and gaining hands-on experience. She has enjoyed taking all of the information she learned in the classroom and applying it to clinical practice.
“It’s been cool to take what I learned in my first three years and put all of the pieces together to see the whole clinical picture,” Stamm said.
Before Stamm attended vet school, she wasn’t sure what kind of veterinarian she wanted to be. While taking her orientation course, she learned about the different specialties a veterinarian could pursue. Dentistry stuck out to her, so she decided to pursue a dentistry elective to learn more about it.
“I was able to learn more about the specialty and found I really enjoyed it,” Stamm said.
After graduation, Stamm is considering pursuing an internship followed by board certification in dentistry. As she prepares for her next steps, she appreciates the generosity of the donors who made this scholarship possible.
“Thank you for supporting me, believing in me and helping me get through my clinical year,” Stamm said.
Photo and Story By: Taylor Bacon | Vet Cetera