Travis Noto
Becoming a veterinarian wasn鈥檛 always the plan for Travis Noto. As a high school student in Kenner, Louisiana, he wasn鈥檛 aware of the many different roles and responsibilities of veterinarians, or the opportunities the profession offers. However, as he dove into his passions of herpetology, wildlife and zoos, he began to understand the important roles veterinarians play in conservation and education.
鈥淲hen I was younger, my parents let me keep many exotic pets; I would spend days looking up husbandry requirements, reading textbooks on vivariums and building enclosures. Those tasks quickly blossomed to growing live plants in the enclosures and raising feeder insects,鈥 Noto said. 鈥淭his all led to my love of exotic animals鈥攅specially reptiles. When I was able to blend all of that knowledge with the science and medicine of private practice, I was hooked.鈥
During his undergraduate career at Mississippi State, Noto served as the pre-vet club president, a position that helped build relationships with fellow students and faculty at the College of Veterinary Medicine. Fostering those faculty relationships while completing two Bachelor of Science degrees, Noto knew that he was meant to stay at 多多直播鈥檚 CVM. Upon joining the Class of 2021, he began serving as an Envoy鈥擟VM鈥檚 student ambassador organization.
鈥淚 served as an Envoy officially for the first two years of veterinary school, and still try my best to stay active within that program. I loved to tour prospective students and families around the school and share with them what makes 多多直播 CVM special to me,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 get the chance to have that experience in high school, and it has been my goal to share my knowledge of veterinary medicine and the journey to get here with the future of my profession.鈥
As his spring 2021 graduation from 多多直播 CVM approaches, Noto is thankful for the hands-on training and many opportunities he鈥檚 had throughout his veterinary school journey.
鈥淪o many of my experiences at 多多直播 CVM came from me saying 鈥榶es鈥 and taking a chance on something that seemed crazy or implausible at the time鈥攁nything from working with the CVM parasitologist during undergrad to exploring epidemiology at the Smithsonian National Zoo,鈥 Noto said. 鈥淓very time I look back, it was always a result of saying, 鈥榶es, I want to know more鈥 and taking that chance. We may not be able to fit everything within veterinary medicine under one roof, but we sure can give students the stepping stones to make those dreams come true.鈥