Veterinary medicine student receives Fluno Scholars-Ahles scholarship
Taylor Apfelbeck, a member of the Class of 2022 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) from Kronenwetter has been named the recipient of the Fluno Scholars – Ahles Scholarship.
The $15,000 annual scholarship was established in 2018 as a memorial to the late Peter Ahles, a fraternity brother of Jere Fluno during their studies at UWStevens Point, and in honor of Ahles’ daughter, Amy, a 1994 graduate of the UW-Madison School of Veterinary (UW-SVM) Medicine. Amy specializes in small animal medicine at the Medford Veterinary Clinic in Medford where she was born and raised.
The Fluno Scholars-Ahles Scholarship is judged on the basis of financial need and academic success, with strong preference given to students from northern Wisconsin. The scholarship is available annually for one UW-SVM student pursuing a doctor of veterinary medicine degree.
Apfelbeck has had horses for more than a decade and credits these animals with inspiring her decision to become a veterinarian. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in either food animal or equine veterinary medicine. She notes that this scholarship support will have a significant impact on her education and will help reduce the financial load of attending veterinary medical school.
“This scholarship allows the burden of student debt to be lifted significantly and I am so grateful and honored to have been selected for it,” she says. “It will allow me to focus my attention on learning what I need to know to become the best veterinarian that I can be and get the most out of my education, while not worrying so much about finances throughout the years to come.”
At the UW School of Veterinary Medicine, Apfelbeck is involved in Equine Club activities, including the club’s biannual Vet Day at the Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation, when UW veterinary medical students assist with physical exams of horses, vaccinations, deworming, teeth floating and more. She is also active in the school’s Bovine Club and in 2019 participated in the UW SVM Summer Scholars program, an opportunity for veterinary medical students to work with mentors on a variety of research projects.
