{"id":21202,"date":"2025-11-20T11:24:06","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T16:24:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/?p=21202"},"modified":"2025-11-20T11:24:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T16:24:06","slug":"student-spotlight-emma-sicheri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/news\/student-spotlight-emma-sicheri\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Spotlight: Emma Sicheri, Animal and Veterinary Science"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Emma Sicheri\u2019s lifelong passion for animals led her to the University of Rhode Island\u2019s Animal and Veterinary Science <\/a>(AVS) program, where she\u2019s found the perfect blend of hands-on learning, scientific exploration, and early career experience. \u201cFor me, the program offered more than a path,\u201d she says. \u201cIt connected directly to my goals of becoming a veterinarian and allowed me to take classes that aligned with another interest of mine: zoonotic diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most impactful aspects of her experience as an AVS major has been the program\u2019s immersive, hands-on education. Through her work at Peckham Farm<\/a>\u2014an 18-acre farm with hayfields, pastures, and livestock\u2014Sicheri has gained experience caring for dairy cattle, sheep, and goats. \u201cIt has built confidence and solidified my interest in animal health,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sicheri has also found a home in the AVS Club, noting that guest speakers, field trips, and peer connections have broadened her understanding of careers in veterinary and animal science. As club secretary, she has embraced leadership and service, including organizing a project that produced 400 homemade dog treats for a local animal shelter recently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now a junior, Sicheri serves as a Peer Mentor in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences <\/a>(CELS), supporting first-year students as they transition into college life. She helps them navigate coursework, find resources, manage their schedules, and get involved in clubs, jobs, and experiential opportunities. \u201cThe most rewarding part is watching students build confidence and find their place within CELS,\u201d she says. \u201cI remember how overwhelming the transition to college felt, so helping others feel supported and capable has been incredibly meaningful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experience has also given her the opportunity to strengthen invaluable skills. \u201cPeer mentoring has strengthened my leadership and communication skills, especially when breaking down complex information or helping students problem-solve through academic or personal challenges. It has also deepened my empathy and patience,\u201d she adds. \u201cSeeing my mentees grow more comfortable and confident throughout the semester and knowing I played a small part in that has definitely been one of the highlights of my time at URI.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grateful for the support she has received from faculty, staff, and peers, Sicheri encourages students to take advantage of the many opportunities CELS offers\u2014from research and internships to hands-on learning and student organizations. She believes that stepping outside one\u2019s comfort zone and asking questions are key to personal and academic growth. \u201cYou only benefit if you put yourself out there,\u201d she says. \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to ask questions, explore different interests, or reach out to faculty, advisors, or mentors. CELS is a community that truly supports its students, and the more you engage with it, the more you\u2019ll grow both academically and personally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for her own path, from her hands-on work experience at Peckham Farm to her leadership development in the AVS Club and clinical experience at Wood River Animal Hospital, Sicheri credits CELS with shaping her college journey and preparing her for a future in veterinary medicine and research. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be the student or person I am today without the foundation CELS provided,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From working at Peckham Farm to involvement with the AVS Club to mentoring first-year students, Emma Sicheri has found many ways to turn her interests into meaningful opportunities in CELS. She says that her experiences at URI have fueled her passion for veterinary medicine, her leadership skills, and her sense of community. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1089,"featured_media":21216,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1089"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21202"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21202\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21203,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21202\/revisions\/21203"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}