Great Grads – Sherrie Farmer O'Brien

Members of the UTCVM Alumni Council pose for a group photo in 2019. From left to right: Chuck Halford, Kathy Kunkel, Tim Mandrell, Sherrie O’Brien, and Mark Ledyard.

Sherrie Farmer O’Brien (DVM ’94) is familiar with embracing the unknown. After graduating from the university, O’Brien worked in small animal medicine for twenty-three years, eleven of which exclusively focused on felines. However, after her children grew up and embarked on lives of their own, she considered a career shift.

O’Brien gave thought to teaching at a small college; however, she was not fully committed to the idea. A colleague asked if she had considered industry work and explained how it could be a good fit for her interests. Working in industry, O’Brien would be able to teach, travel, support a team, and work with shelters and universities, allowing her to impact others on a large scale, which is ultimately what was most important to her.

O’Brien never thought she could love any career path as much as she loved small animal practice, yet seven years later, she continues to enjoy her work with multinational animal health company Boehringer Ingelheim. She worked as a senior professional services veterinarian for six years before being promoted to her current position of senior associate director of corporate veterinary partnerships.

O’Brien says UTCVM prepared her to embrace career changes. She is thankful for fellow alumni who took a moment to look back and give back to the college after earning their degrees, and she aspires to have the same impact on others’ lives as well. O’Brien served as the second president of the college’s Alumni Council and continues to find new ways to stay involved and give back to the college.

Reflecting upon all the college has accomplished in its first fifty years, O’Brien says she is confident about what the coming years hold. “I know its future is bright, and we will continue to shape and influence our profession for the better. Innovation and technology, medicine, diagnostics, and beyond will continue to help us really help others. More importantly, striving to enrich our professional culture with positivity, scholarship, and adaptation to change will be paramount as we propel ourselves into tomorrow.”

O’Brien is confident the college takes its students on a journey of learning, which is something she is optimistic that graduates will continue to embrace the rest of their lives. “The experience at the college not only teaches you about science and medicine, but also it promotes a growth mindset and the agility to take on new and exciting things. To learn is to grow, but to grow is to live.”