In just a few weeks, Alek Goll will start life after graduation in rural Iowa.
It’s an area he is extremely familiar with.
“I grew up on a small farm just outside of Garner, Iowa, in north central Iowa where my family raised pigs, cattle and row crops,” Goll said. “After I graduate with my DVM, I plan to work at a rural mixed animal clinic in Forest City.”
His new home is just north of his hometown.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back to my community, one that truly needs veterinary care, and being able to serve the local farmers and families who helped shape who I am today,” he said.
Choosing to work in an underserved area isn’t easy, but one way that has smoothed Goll’s path is the scholarship support he has received while a student in Iowa State’s College of Veterinary Medicine. One of those scholarships he received this year was the college’s Rural Veterinary Practice Scholarship.
“Scholarships like this make a real difference,” he said. “They don’t just support the student; they support the entire community that will benefit from their work.
“Continued investment in rural veterinary medicine is critical to addressing the growing gap in care and ensuring these communities have the resources they need to keep going.”
Goll’s classmate, Austin Kennedy, is another recipient of the Rural Veterinary Practice Scholarship. Originally from Papillion, Neb., Kennedy will also be practicing mixed animal medicine after graduation. He has accepted a position at a practice in rural Kansas.
“I decided to practice in a rural setting because I have come to enjoy working in the agriculture industry after having spent time running a cow/calf operation for just under a decade,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy says scholarships like the Rural Veterinary Practice Scholarship are important because of the salary disparity between rural and urban areas.
“Rural veterinarians make very little in comparison to our counterparts in more densely populated locations due to the fact that rural pay is more tightly correlated to the economics associated with animal production,” Kennedy said.
Despite that disparity, both Kennedy and Goll say the need in rural communities for veterinary care was a driving factor in their career paths.
“I’ve seen firsthand how hard it is on communities when consistent veterinary care isn’t available,” Goll said. “These small town communities are what made me who I am, and I want to give back by supporting them and showing that their work truly matters.”
April 2026