BSVSA-MSU, also known as the Pride Pack, is the College’s chapter of the BSVSA. The name “Pride Pack” was chosen to represent the club’s main priority of building a social support network for LBGTQ+ veterinary medical, veterinary technology, and graduate students and allies in the College.

The Pride Pack has been established as a subdivision of MSU chapter national student organization Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment (VOICE). Until recently, when Sarah Rich, DVM class of 2021, joined as co-president, Heirich handled all planning, proposals, and finances. “My goal is to establish the basic club structure so that more students will join, bring their ideas, and make it their own,” says Kyra Heirich, DVM Class of 2020, co-president of the Pride Pack, and VOICE treasurer.

“I could tell that the College was open to the idea, but was not sure of how to go about it,” says Heirich. “If you bring together a diverse group of students, you need certain resources to support those students. I think that creating a space to have these conversations, supporting one another, and just recognizing that we are here is the first step.”

So far, the club has hosted social activities such as happy hours and movie nights. Heirich plans to add Queer Inclusive Learning and Leadership (QuILL) training, lunch talks presented by queer veterinary medical professionals, and additional events with other queer groups at MSU. “Our chapter has hosted events with LBGTQIA+ In Medicine (MSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine) and the newly established Queer and Trans (*) Graduate Research Resources and Development (QT-G(R)AD Group). Interacting with other groups outside of the College is a good reminder that the real world is out there,” says Heirich.

“As the Pride Pack grows, we will depend on support from the professional veterinary medical community. I encourage any MSU alumni and veterinarians throughout Michigan interested in getting involved to contact me. It would be very meaningful for us to hear first-hand experiences of the challenges and triumphs queer veterinarians have faced in their professional lives,” says Heirich.

Kyra Heirich enjoys working in a diverse setting. Prior to veterinary school, Heirich managed a breast cancer research laboratory at Stanford University. “At one point, our lab included eight people who spoke five different primary languages. I got to work with engineers, doctors, and individuals from other assorted professions and backgrounds who helped open my mind to alternative ways of thinking.”

Heirich attributes her open-mindedness, curiosity, and ambition to the diverse experiences that her upbringing provided her. “Growing up, my grandmother and her partner lived nearby and were very involved in my life. They have a wonderful network of close friends that have met regularly for as long as I can remember. My grandmas have always been supportive of my veterinary aspirations, so it only seems fitting that they are my motivation to develop an LBGTQ+ social support network in veterinary school.”

“I hope to help my peers and colleagues understand how crucial it is to keep an open mind as a medical professional. I love how our curriculum prioritizes communication skills and how to handle difficult conversations with clients. However, I think we can do more to help prepare students for the rich diversity of people they will encounter throughout their professional career. Increasing LBGTQ+ visibility in the College is just one small step we can take toward preparing future DVMs for the real world.”

“It took me a year to be comfortable enough with myself to become the public face of BSVSA-MSU. Coming out is a lifelong process for most queer people, and when you feel isolated, just knowing that others care for you and support you is huge. By starting the Pride Pack, I recognized that I could help other students who were struggling just as much as I had,” says Heirich. “Veterinary school is hard enough as it is. We might as well get through it together.”