For most high schoolers, visiting a future college means taking a road trip, or flying a couple of hours across the country. But for senior Olivia Roux, visiting her destination for higher education means an international flight to another continent.
This coming fall, Roux will attend the Royal Veterinary College in London, England, a decision influenced by the school’s accelerated program and achieved through Roux’s perseverance, and the support of her family and friends.
For Roux, questions about the future have never been a point of hesitation. From a young age, Roux has been on the path to becoming a veterinarian, crediting her interest in veterinary school to her upbringing.
“I’ve had dogs, I’ve had snakes, I’ve had all the kinds of pets you can think of, my entire life,” Roux said. “Animals recharge my social battery […], [I thought] if I can go and do that for the rest of my life and work with these animals, that’s so rewarding for me.”
Although Roux has always had the goal of becoming a veterinarian, the journey to get her degree didn’t always include a stop in London. Roux did not know she was going abroad until her junior year, and her original plan for the majority of high school was to take the standard route: four years of undergrad followed by four years of veterinary school. However, when Roux’s mother told her about the Royal Veterinary College, the plan of how Roux would achieve her dream changed.
Along with the appeal of attending a college in a different continent, Roux realized some other notable benefits of attending school in London, such as a cheaper tuition. Additionally, the Royal Veterinary College has an accelerated program, that will allow her to graduate with her veterinary license in just 5 years. The test to get her veterinary license in London will even qualify Roux to be a veterinarian across England, the U.S., Australia, and Canada.
However, to be able to apply to schools abroad, Roux had to fit some difficult classes into her schedule, including AP Chemistry and AP Biology.
“[My mindset was] it’s going to be hard, but it’s going to be worth it in the long run,” Roux said.
Roux’s effort in the classroom stood out to biology teacher Jennifer Hoffman, who had Roux in CP Biology class in freshman year and her AP Biology class in junior year.
“Roux is always positive and upbeat,” Hoffman said. “She showed a lot of perseverance throughout her high school years moving from CP Biology to Honors Chemistry and then AP Biology.”
Roux also credits her family and friends for motivating her when she was struggling with the academic rigor that came with these AP courses.
“At times I’m like, ‘oh my God, this is getting really hard’, [my friends say] ‘this is worth it for you, you need to do this.’ It’s a short struggle for a lot of good,” Roux said.
