Rosemary Klass

Rosemary Klass
Staff
College/Department/Program:
College of Veterinary Medicine
Preferred pronoun(s):
She, her, hers

Tell us about a time in your life where you overcame an obstacle in your path, found your community, or found your purpose

My stumbling block came when I was in third grade, when my teacher struck me and humiliated me in front of the whole class for giving the wrong answer. It took decades before I could fully overcome that and believe that I was not stupid, nor beyond learning!

As a young adult, I prepared myself for ministry work and am a licensed and ordained clergy, a critical care veterinary technician, entrepreneur, speaker, certified conflict mediator, facilitator, and preceptor… That teacher was wrong!

Where did your journey start? 

Unsure of a career path, I became proof of effective marketing. Thirty-four years ago, a commercial came on the television that changed the trajectory of my life! A young lady was a veterinary technician and she was doing what she loved, and I said out loud, "That's what I'm going to do!" And the rest truly is history! I have been at the U of M College of Veterinary Medicine just shy of 27 years!

How did this change you/What did you learn/discover because of this?

Veterinary Medicine is my passion and my niche. I've done life with many of my coworkers over my career. We've grown together, we've shared losses, victories, joys, and pain. My knowledge and skills have been challenged academically, and I have built beautiful friendships in my vet med community!

What has been the most challenging aspect of your journey?

It's no secret that veterinary medicine is not very integrated or ethnically diverse. I think that one of the biggest challenges for me has been not seeing more people of color in veterinary medicine. This is why I go into culturally diverse schools to spark the interest of elementary through high school students to consider veterinary science as a career choice, through a program we call "Bridge to Vet Med."

My advice for other Black students

I would love for them to join us at the College of Veterinary Medicine for a tour or a shadow day or teaching lab to see what happens behind the scenes and feel inspired knowing that they belong in THOSE spaces, or wherever they choose to be!

I would say to them, “You ARE smart enough and YOU are enough, and You Belong at the U!"