Erin Turman, a fifth-year senior at the University of Minnesota Crookston, recently applied to several vet schools and one day hopes to become a veterinarian. She is a biology major with a chemistry minor and an animal science minor. Turman has a deep love for animals, so much so she trained and professionally showed Australian Shepherds in conformation dog shows for ten years and was ranked the number one American Kennel Club (AKC) All-Breed Junior Handler in the United States for 2018.
Turman’s experience with professionally showing dogs and learning the process of their maintenance and upkeep has solidified her passion for veterinary medicine and the dichotomy of animal behavior and the science behind the medicine.
“Most people involved in the industry are generational dog handlers,” Turman stated. “Their parents, grandparents, great grandparents, and so on have been showing dogs for decades.”
This was not the case for Turman.
Because of this, she had more obstacles to face and conquer than the average junior handler. Although this was difficult for her, it taught her resiliency, which is especially important in veterinary medicine. She even had to train a puppy from the ground up, while others often had pre-trained, veteran dogs.
“As a first generation college student, pursuing a doctorate in veterinary medicine is ambitious, but so was showing a young, amateur dog and then as a result earning the title of AKC’s number one All-Breed Junior Handler of 2018 in the United States,” she added.
Turman began her college journey at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minn., transferred to Winona State University, and is now finishing her undergraduate education at U of M Crookston. She loves U of M Crookston because it caters to her educational needs, and has a very welcoming environment.
“Crookston has given me the opportunity to align my goals and dreams, and make lifelong friendships while achieving my aspirations,” she shared.
Turman is involved in the Veterinary School Committee within the Pre-Veterinary Club and is also involved in the Animal Science Association, Ag Arama, and Swing Dance Club. Turman has conducted chemistry research in four different on-campus projects including “Secondary Metabolites of Lavandula mairei Humbert”, “Analysis of Crocin, Picrocrocin, and Safranal Content in Crocus Sativus L. Samples from Iran, Spain, and Morocco”, “Sourcing New Antibiotics from Minnesota Wetland Soils: Utilizing Tiny Earth in the Classroom”, and the Freshwater Sponge Project. She is also the Crookston Student Association (CSA) Senator for Events and Elections.
With demanding aspirations, Turman values her free time. Turman enjoys reading, trying new coffee shops, designing digital art, and spending time with her cat, Kashmir. She is also part of a small, close-knit book club called “Book Besties” with her friends, Adria and Janie.
