Our series on “Champions for Change” features people of any gender in any role who are making a difference and creating positive change for women in the veterinary sector – enabling aspirations, inspiring and supporting others to grow and follow their passions, and empowering our community.
Lharanya Somasundaram is a student of veterinary medicine at the RVC and President of Animal Aspirations, an initiative to engage students from diverse backgrounds through interactive animal and science-focused workshops, promote diverse role models and break the stereotypes of the veterinary and other animal-related professions by having a positive online and social media presence. Lharanya’s passion for community is behind her consistent drive for diversity and inclusion and her aim of getting everyone involved in this change. Find out more below about Lharanya’s transformative vision and how she is achieving it.
Growing up, I didn’t always know I wanted to be a vet. In fact, it wasn’t until my last years of school that I came to the realisation. But once I did, I was all in. I started my veterinary medicine course at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in 2021 and am now in my penultimate year.
Community has always been a big part of who I am. My first introduction to outreach work came during school, where I volunteered to teach children within my local refugee communities. A few years later, I eventually led my school’s community and service-learning committee, which solidified that this was going to be an intrinsic part of my life moving forward.
When I started university, I had the opportunity to join the Animal Aspirations team which meant I could continue the type of work I was so passionate about while also connecting with others from a similar background to me. I started as a Workshop Ambassador just a couple of months into my first year and was grateful to be chosen as a Junior Vice President the following year.
Today, as the President of Animal Aspirations for two years, I’ve been fortunate to lead an incredible team committed to championing diversity within animal-related professions.
Please summarise how you are working towards change in the veterinary professions and why do you feel this is important?
My work with Animal Aspirations perfectly embodies the change I most want to see and be a part of. I have been with the team for the last four years, and as the current president, I dedicate most of my time towards addressing the issue of diversity in the veterinary professions.
I believe this challenge is largely rooted in a lack of accessibility. Young people from minority backgrounds are typically less likely to apply or successfully enter pathways linked to veterinary science and other animal-related professions. This may be due to a lack of role models, cultural differences, or financial struggle. Our team works with primary and secondary school students across the UK to educate them about the possibility of working with animals and empower them to pursue such a career.
Diversity isn’t just a personal value; it’s something essential for the future of our profession. The wealth of perspectives, ideas, and lived experiences can breathe life into new ways of thinking that will drive us forward. But diversity isn’t just about innovation either. It’s about creating a community where everyone feels they belong. In a line of work that can feel disheartening at times, having that sense of support and connection can make all the difference.
How do you feel this is making a difference?
When working with children, I was prepared only to see an impact manifest in the longer term, but there has already been a tangible difference! It’s my favourite thing to see all hands go shooting up when I ask, “Who wants to work with animals now?” at the end of a workshop when most students never knew it was a possibility or had never even met an animal just an hour before. The enthusiasm and appreciation from both students and teachers are exactly why the initiative was created and why I will always advocate for the work we do.
This has also been reflected in the numbers. With increased engagement and a growing number of requests, the team has worked with tens of thousands of students. In the last academic year alone, we reached more than 4,500 students across 20 schools and 45 events. To include as many young people as possible, we have also expanded the range of ages we work with, all the way from Nursery to Year 13. This has meant that I have even run into current vet students who I met at an Animal Aspirations workshop when they were still in school!
What motivated you to want to change things?
Being of mixed South/Southeast Asian heritage is something I will always be proud of, but it has also made my journey to the veterinary profession more challenging. While I was lucky to be surrounded by such diversity growing up, it was when I started to think about becoming a vet that I realised access to advice, resources, and positive role models was lacking for someone like me. At university, this lack of representation and community became even more apparent. I wanted to find others who felt the same and, more importantly, change things for those who would come after me.
I have been able to experience how amazing being a vet is, and I want anyone to have that opportunity. Knowing that someone, somewhere, will feel a little less alone or a little more inspired because of the work we’re doing is all the motivation I need.
What are the biggest challenges you have encountered in this journey and how have you overcome them?
As amazing as it is to see the impact of the initiatives I’ve been working on, it can be equally disheartening to see new barriers arise or old issues resurface despite all your efforts. Especially as a student, it can sometimes be easy for your voice to feel insignificant when surrounded by others with years of experience and in a profession so much larger than you.
But I think this is an inherent part of driving positive change. It’s not always going to be linear, and accepting this fact is what motivates me to continue doing it for as long as I can. There is always scope for improvement and new problems that need to be addressed. Seeing the difference it makes firsthand and knowing how much I would have appreciated something like this growing up makes it all worth it.
What is the best advice you’ve been given, or that you would give to someone else, about driving positive change?
Being a changemaker means embracing both the highs and lows of the journey. Frustratingly, change doesn’t happen overnight – but a slow and steady effort is far better than inaction. If you’re passionate about something, run with it. No matter how alone you feel in taking the initiative, you’ll find others who share your dedication, and together, you’ll make an impact. Change perpetuates change, and it all starts with one step!
What are your next steps to continue creating change for the better?
Our ultimate goal with Animal Aspirations is to make our work unnecessary – to see diversity and inclusion so ingrained in our profession that initiatives like ours are no longer needed.
The way I think we’ll get there, and a big focus of my presidency, is getting everyone involved in this change. One part of that is to amplify the student voice behind our organisation. The RVC team has grown to more than 90 members in the last couple of years, and we have established teams at other vet schools, including Cambridge, Surrey, Harper & Keele and the University of Central Lancashire. My hope is to keep this momentum going so that wherever someone turns, there’s a point of support waiting for them.
But it shouldn’t stop there. The preconceptions and actions of others also have implications on someone’s path into the profession and their experience within it. I want to work more with parents and guardians to make sure a child’s environment is as informed and supportive as can be. I want to connect and collaborate with graduated professionals and major vet organisations to ensure this change is sustained on a wider scale. This is what I’m working towards, and until then, we’ll keep doing what we’re doing and spreading the word.
If this resonates with you, I encourage you to look around your own community and consider the gaps you could help bridge. What steps could you take at work or university to foster inclusivity? Is there a local school where you could share your insights? Or perhaps a student-led initiative, like Animal Aspirations, that you could support? No matter your background, we’d love for you to join us.
Opportunities to make a difference are everywhere, often closer than you think. All you need is yourself and a little bit of courage to get the ball rolling!
In honour of International Women’s Day on March 8th, 2025, we assembled a collection of ‘Champions for Change’ profiles into a free eBook. Explore exclusive stories highlighting inspirational figures driving positive change for women in veterinary.
Our thanks to Lharanya for sharing her inspiring story of how she is championing change. If you would like to nominate a Champion for Change or share your story, please let us know.
For exclusive access to more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly newsletter
You may also like:
Veterinary Woman Champions for Change – Nada Al Balushi
Veterinary Woman Champions for Change – Sanam Peighambarzadeh
Veterinary Woman Champions for Change – Julie Rosser