Graduating Seniors in UK's Equine Program Seek Closure

Dr. Jackie Wahrmund taught my first class on the morning of my first day of college at the University of Kentucky–Animal Science 101: Domestic Animal Biology, an auditorium full of over a hundred eager freshmen. About half of them hoped to be veterinarians someday, only to have their dreams crushed a month later after their first chemistry exam. But this was a class we would all come to look forward to every week. We got to learn about what we were all passionate about, and Dr. Wahrmund made the class enjoyable.

Ironically enough, she also taught my very last class of college. Last month, I was working out a feed ration calculation in her nutrition lab when we all got the notifications on our phones–we would be taking classes online for two weeks following spring break, and then we would return to our normal schedule.

But days later, we got the email that classes would be held virtually for the rest of the semester. So when I left that nutrition lab, I had no idea it would be the last time I walked on campus as a senior majoring in Equine Science and Management. None of us, the professors or the students, had any idea.

Lilly Boladian, a fellow senior Equine Science and Management student, has been seeking closure on the unexpected ending to her final semester. “I never could have guessed that I wouldn't get a chance to say goodbye and really have those last moments on campus with professors and friends,” she said. “I see my professors through video, but that's upsetting to me because I know I can't even give them a hug goodbye.”

Casey Wallace, another senior in the equine program, was set to finish out her college career with study abroad in France for two weeks following graduation. The equine-focused trip was to be led by Dr. Wahrmund.

“Dr. Wahrmund was so upset when she told us our trip was cancelled, but we knew it wasn't her fault,” said Wallace. “I think the hardest thing for me was that I wish I could have known before spring break that we wouldn't be returning for the rest of the semester. There were so many people that I didn't get the chance to say goodbye to.”

Boladian and Wallace are both pursuing careers in the Thoroughbred industry, and they spoke of finding jobs in such an unprecedented time.

“It has been stressful because so many people are losing their jobs, so for me that means people aren't going to be hiring,” said Wallace. “I plan on working the sales this summer and fall, so it's kind of scary to not know where the industry is going to be in a couple months.

“I was fortunate enough to receive a job as a night watchman at Godolphin's Gainsborough Farm before this all happened,” said Boladian. “But I feel for the people graduating and looking for positions. While many student workers are leaving to go home and some farms might be short-staffed, a lot of farms are tight on letting in new people due to biosecurity measures. So it's just a day-by- day thing for many upcoming graduates.”

Supplies in the back of Wahrmund's truck

Wahrmund also spoke of when she found out about the premature ending to in-person classes. “When we first heard that classes would be held online for two weeks, we kind of had a thought in the back of our heads that they could be cancelled indefinitely, but nobody could have known that for sure,” she said. “For the seniors graduating, it didn't even cross my mind. If it had, I definitely would have made a better goodbye.”

Dr. Wahrmund has taught at the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture, Food and Environment for four years as a lecturer in Animal Science as well as Equine Science and Management. She's known for her “no-excuses” attitude, but more so for her excellent abilities as an advisor and an educator. She's also someone who is always looking for ways to help others.

So when I learned what Dr. Wahrmund has been up to during this period of isolation, I wasn't surprised.

Our Animal Science and Equine Science laboratory is used for various different classes, including Animal Science 101 and Equine Anatomy. Many sessions conduct “wet labs,” where students are able to participate in dissections. The lab room is filled with gloves, masks, and lab coats–all items that six months ago we would never have guessed could be saving lives today.

Last week, Dr. Wahrmund made the drive to campus, packed up her truck with this assortment of Personal Protective Equipment, and took it all to be donated to UK's hospital system.

“As soon as things started to get serious and we saw people on television wearing masks, I thought in the back of my head of how we have all this equipment here and people may need it soon,” said Wahrmund. “But as soon as classes started happening from home, it was hard for me to find time to get to campus.”

She continued, “I watch Governor Beshear every night at five like so many other Kentuckians. One night he said, 'what we really need right now is gloves,' so I made the trip the next day.”
Once she got to campus, Wahrmund took inventory of the lab's supplies. She packed up 487 disposable lab coats, 250 masks, 66 boxes of gloves (6,600 gloves total), and dozens of packages of Clorox wipes.

“I worked with our Department Chair to find a contact at the UK Medical Center,” Wahrmund said. “I ended up dropping the supplies off at their medical supply warehouse, and they were glad to see me.”

Anne Meredith Wilferth, also a senior in the equine program, has been a teaching assistant under Dr. Wahrmund for two semesters, working in the lab on a weekly basis.

“Picking up a pair of gloves in lab seems like such a mundane task, but it's so neat that our college can use these resources that we normally use for education and repurpose them for lifesaving events,” said Wilferth. “It proves how awesome our UK community is to see a need and be able to fulfill it, and it's so impactful to work under professors who are thinking of those things. In a way, it allows each of us students to have a small part in helping out.”

Wilferth was hired on as head wrangler at an equine family camp upon graduation, but her start date is in limbo with the unclear picture of what this summer could look like. Still, she chooses to look at the positives in the coming weeks.

“I've realized the impact that our college and faculty have had on me,” she said. “Especially in our equine industry, where networking is so valuable, having this time to still communicate with our professors has been very important. Not to sound cliché, but I feel like distance has truly made the heart grow fonder, and I think it has banded us together. I'm still trying to find closure in all that has happened, but when I start to get upset, I look back on all the lifelong connections that I've made through it all to find comfort.”