Hailey A. Snyder
Boardman, OH
Animal Sciences - Animal Biosciences
Department of Animal Sciences
2020 Distinguished Senior Award Celebration Program (.pdf)
2020 Distinguished Senior Award Recipient Showcase Poster (.pdf)
Hailey Snyder valued her time as a teaching assistant for a biosciences laboratory course, which she says fueled her passions for learning through teaching and the field of animal sciences. Her time in this position taught her how different people learn as well as honed her own leadership style.
Hailey names her acceptance into multiple veterinary programs as when she felt her greatest sense of achievement. Despite being told how difficult it is to gain acceptance into a veterinary program, she persevered and was successful. Hailey takes great pride in choosing The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
During her time at Ohio State, Hailey interned at the equine endocrinology laboratory in the College of Veterinary Medicine, where she assisted in allocating and organizing collected blood samples, recording data on foals in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, and performing several enzyme-linked immunoassays and radioimmunoassays to determine steroid hormone concentrations. She was also able to travel to Lexington, Kentucky to assist research at the Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital and Hagyard Equine Medical Institute.
Hailey has continued her own research independent from the laboratory where she interned, collecting blood samples to study testosterone and dihydrotesterone in healthy, newborn foals that are hospitalized. She will be presenting her research at the Spring Undergraduate Research Festival and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Research Forum in order to graduate with research distinction.
After concluding her internship, Hailey was able to transition to a part-time position at the equine endocrinology laboratory. She is also employed by the United States Equestrian Federation as a testing technician. She is contracted by equine veterinarians to assist in random drug testing of horses competing in USEF competitions.
Hailey noted that her most rewarding undergraduate experience was her volunteer work at 4 Paws for Ability. She raised and trained service dogs for children and veterans with disabilities and performed outreach to improve public opinion of service animals and those who utilize them. She began as a part-time sitter for a few dogs and was eventually able to foster her own dog, finally sending it off to Texas to aid a young boy.
Hailey contributed her time to multiple volunteer organizations. She was a competitive member of the Hunt Seat Equestrian Team, competing against other universities through the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, fundraising for her team, and hosting Interscholastic Equestrian Association shows for high school students. She was a Licking County Trap-Neuter-Return volunteer, monitoring anesthesia during operation, managing recovery out of anesthesia, and preparing vaccinations. Hailey was also a member of the Pre-Veterinary Medical Association as the technical services chair and program coordinator, helping manage the association.
After graduation, Hailey will begin her degree as she has been accepted into the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree program through Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
Hailey has named Ms. Mariette Benage as her mentor. Ms. Benage has guided and advised Hailey throughout her undergraduate career and has had a great impact on the decisions Hailey has made leading up to this point.