Keiser University Flagship campus Equestrian Team captain Rachel Hanna is applying her life experiences, love for animals, and desire to work in the medical field toward the pursuit of a Keiser University Equine degree followed by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.

Having been involved with horses her entire life, including seasons as a camp counselor and a horse wrangler at Drowsy Waters Ranch located in Granby, Colorado, Hanna, who started riding at the age of four is currently researching opportunities to pursue a post-graduate degree as a veterinarian. “If the stars align my first choice would be to become a veterinary ophthalmologist,” smiled Hanna, who maintains a 4.0-grade point average in Keiser’s Biomedical Science with an Equine Concentration program and was the first to qualify for her team’s participation in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association’s (IHSA) regional event.

Inspired to learn more about veterinary ophthalmology after working alongside leaders in the field as part of her externship at the Palm Beach Equine Clinic, Hanna also enjoyed gaining experience at the Vinceremos Equine Assisted Therapy Center and credits Director of Equestrian Programs Julie Snyder and Adjunct Professor Dr. Rachel Mottet for their encouragement and guidance. “Ms.  Snyder has always been kind and supportive of my goals and interests, and I also had a wonderful experience as a student in Dr. Mottet’s Equine Nutrition and Equine Health and Disease Monitoring classes,” she said.

Keiser University’s Biomedical Science Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Equine Studies offers prepares students for admission to graduate programs in Veterinarian Medicine. Along with the necessary pre-vet curriculum, the Equine Studies concentration offers students the opportunity to develop hands-on experience in handling horses and horse training, understanding the genetic composition of horses, equine nutrition and health and disease monitoring, equine management, and training opportunities, and more.

Keiser University is a private, independent, non-profit university serving nearly 20,000 students at 21 Florida campuses, online, and two international sites. Co-founded in 1977 by Chancellor Arthur Keiser, Ph.D., and Evelyn Keiser, Keiser University currently offers more than 100 degrees from associates to the doctoral level. Keiser University is a  designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and was ranked No. 5 in the U.S. in Social Mobility by U.S. News And World Report in 2022.