On Dec. 2, the PVMA will host Pet Portraits, a fundraiser to help the student organization raise money to go to a symposium in Florida, which aims to provide students an intense glimpse into the field of veterinary medicine, according to PVMA adviser Echo Hansen.

“We’re offering a chance for people to bring their pets to the (MSU Division of Hematology and) Oncology clinic … to have their pets photographed by Lifetouch photographers, and order picture packages,” PVMA historian and animal science senior Kelly Simons said in an email.

According to Simons, a wet lab teaches students about animal nutrition or how to handle different farm animals or be a vet assistant.

“Other organizations may give hands-on experiences, but we are the only one that has contacts within MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine,” she said.

Simons joined the PVMA during her freshman year. Being new to campus, she saw it as an opportunity to meet new people and get further involved in her veterinary major. She said the group offers a variety of opportunities that are beneficial to her major, from the wet labs and guest speakers to the community service events such as the Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue and fundraisers such as the dog washes.

“The PVMA just had so many events and opportunities to participate in that I ended up coming back for every meeting (and) signing up for events, and then I decided that I loved it so much that I wanted to be a part of the executive board to help run PVMA,” she said.

With close to 300 members, the fundraiser is slated to provide many other students with the opportunity to participate in PVMA. And similar to Simons, it could change their college experience for the better.