Animal Aspirations, a student-led organisation, is dedicated to improving ethnic and socioeconomic diversity within animal-related careers. Founded in 2019 by veterinary students Stephanie Stapleton and Lavinia Economu from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), the organisation emerged in response to reports from the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), which revealed the lack of diversity and support for students from minority backgrounds within the veterinary sector.

Reflecting on her own journey, Dr Lavinia Economu shared, “I’ve always lived and gone to school in Greater London, and so I was used to being surrounded by people from all backgrounds and walks of life. Once I started my veterinary degree, this was no longer the case, as few students came from diverse or ethnic minority backgrounds. This pattern seemed to be the same in all vet schools and even the veterinary profession, but there were very few, if any, initiatives to address it.”

During her intercalated year at the RVC, Lavinia met Stephanie Stapleton, another veterinary student who shared her vision for increasing diversity in veterinary medicine. Together, they collaborated with the RVC’s Student Recruitment and Widening Participation team to recruit a passionate group of veterinary students, and thus Animal Aspirations was born. Their goal was simple yet vital: to provide guidance and support to students from underrepresented groups and offer the kind of role models they wished they had encountered earlier in their education.

Animal Aspirations has since expanded significantly, growing from nine students at the RVC to a team of 83 across various institutions, including the University of Cambridge, the University of Surrey, Harper Adams University, Keele University, and the University of Central Lancashire. New teams are currently being set up at the University of Liverpool and the University of Edinburgh. The organisation now reaches tens of thousands of young people across the UK, educating them about the tangible career pathways available within the animal-related professions.

The organisation’s impact has been widespread. It has hosted hundreds of school workshops, developed new resources for schools, and worked alongside key organisations like the RCVS, BVA, RSPCA, and Pets at Home. These partnerships have included social media campaigns for Black History Month and International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, as well as speaking at prominent events like the London Vet Show and New Scientist Live. Animal Aspirations also voiced its stance against racism and discrimination in the veterinary sector by writing an open letter following the Black Lives Matter movement.

Lharanya Somasundaram, President of Animal Aspirations, reflected on the organisation’s growth, saying, “Animal Aspirations has grown so much over the years. Like myself, many join the team to find the support and sense of community that was absent in our journey to the veterinary profession. It has been incredible to see the impact of our work, how misconceptions that once served as barriers are being challenged, and how young people feel more empowered to pursue their dreams.”

However, Lharanya also emphasised that there is still much work to be done: “The goal is to create such a diverse and inclusive environment that it can sustain itself, and the support we provide is the norm. This only becomes possible when everyone, regardless of experience, position, or background, is committed to championing diversity.”

Looking to the future, Animal Aspirations continues to focus on making the veterinary profession more inclusive and accessible. “We should all be thinking about how we can make ourselves and our workplaces more inclusive,” Lharanya concluded. “With these combined efforts, we get closer to a profession where everyone feels as though they truly belong.”

Animal Aspirations is helping to reshape the veterinary sector, fostering a more inclusive environment where students from all backgrounds can thrive and pursue their career aspirations.

Learn more about Animal Aspirations and view their student resources here: Home | Animal Aspirations | London


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