FHUHS alumna Haley Macomber is a member of the Class of 2013. Haley has had a very exciting year! This past June, she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)!
Haley’s long journey to achievement began right here in her hometown of Fair Haven. She credits her 6th grade teacher, Mr. Stanton, and her 7th and 8th grade teacher, Mr. Crane, of Fair Haven Grade School for getting her excited about science and encouraging her dream of becoming a veterinarian.
While at Fair Haven Union High School, Haley continued to work hard at her studies. She also participated in athletics, playing field hockey and basketball and running both indoor and outdoor track. During her career running track, she earned the state champion title a few times for the 100m hurdles and 4X100m relay!
After high school, Haley attended the University of Vermont, majoring in Animal Science with a concentration in pre-vet studies. She graduated in 2017. Before beginning her graduate work, Haley worked for a year as a veterinary assistant at an animal clinic in northern Vermont. She then attended the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, where she recently received her DVM.
Currently, Haley is an associate veterinarian at the Rutland Veterinary Clinic and Surgical Center in Rutland Town, Vermont. She is certified in veterinary spinal manipulation, also known as animal chiropractic certification, and is currently working on being certified in veterinary acupuncture. Haley hopes to see patients for this practice in the new year.
Recently married, Haley lives with her husband and their newly adopted black cat in Ludlow, Vermont. When asked if she had any words of advice for our current Slaters, Haley replied, “If I had an inspiring message, I would tell people to never give up on their dreams, even if they seem impossible. It took me two tries to get into my top choice of veterinary school, and a few of my academic advisors at UVM told me not to bother applying because it’s too competitive a field. While this was upsetting to hear at the time, it made me realize how much harder I would have to work if I was going to make my dream a reality. So I took a year off between undergrad and graduate work to build up my resume to become more competitive when I applied for veterinary school the following year. Although a year away from school was not in my original plan, it ended up working out for me and I was accepted into veterinary school and reached my ultimate goal.”
Slater Nation is so incredibly proud of you, Haley, and we thank you for sharing your story! Your hard work and determination are an inspiration to all.