By Samantha Barscewski, DVM, Class of ’17

I was very excited when I found out that I had been awarded one of the six Westminster Kennel Club Foundation scholarships for 2016. A trip to the annual dog show in New York City was included in the prize. 

I had never been to a benched dog show before, and I had a blast learning about the different dog breeds and groups that were represented.

One of my favorite parts of the show was watching how the dogs interacted with their handlers when they weren't strutting their stuff - dogs will be dogs after all! Many handlers brought out toys and played with their four legged teammates or let the dogs socialize with each other. Some even showed off tricks to the crowd! Yet, when the dogs each had their turns, they were all business.

I had a great time meeting some of the great people that are so proud of their dogs and seeing the best representations of their breeds in the world. 

I was very proud to represent the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine and meet other veterinary students from around the country.