From Sea Turtles to Shelter Medicine

Emily Weston’s career has been anything but linear. From marine science to entrepreneurial endeavors and now veterinary medicine, Emily embodies the idea that it’s never too late to return to your passion.

“I should have gone to vet school 10 years ago,” she says with a smile. “But I’m here now.”

A Deep Dive Into the Natural World

Emily’s academic life started at the University of Miami, where her love for the ocean and its myriad marine life led her to earn degrees in marine science and biology and English literature, with a minor in chemistry. Her graduate studies at Florida Atlantic University took her deeper into the world of sea turtle conservation, researching the environmental effects on leatherback turtle eggs.

“When you're a mammalian fetus, you're influenced by your mother's environment,” she explains. “But as a sea turtle egg on a beach, the egg is experiencing that environment. I was really interested in how that affected the development of the hatchling turtle.”

Emily’s passion for the natural world led her to the Virgin Islands, where she conducted coral reef research and later shifted into nonprofit and government contract work. But something was missing.

“I didn’t enjoy working as a government contractor,” she says. “So I pivoted and started a boat-chartering business. Then I opened two restaurants. I really got into the entrepreneur mindframe.”

“I started looking at online science courses because I’d been out of school for so long. I wanted to see if my science brain was still alive.”

A Pandemic Pause and a Return to Science

The COVID-19 pandemic brought much of Emily’s busy world to a halt. While her restaurants survived, the slowdown gave her time to think—and to rediscover what made her tick.

“I was really interested in public health and missed being in the throes of science,” Emily recalls. “I was reading a lot about vaccine development and was just fascinated.”

Then came an invitation to join the board of her local animal shelter in St. Croix. It was a turning point. Being in the surgery room with the veterinarians brought a long-dormant dream back to life.

“I kept thinking to myself, ‘What am I doing running a restaurant? This is what I should be doing.’”

But self-doubt crept in. Could she really go back to school in her late 30s? Was vet school even realistic?

“I started looking at online science courses because I’d been out of school for so long. I wanted to see if my science brain was still alive.”

The coursework is intense and academically challenging, which is really important to me. The instructors gave excellent, detailed feedback.

A Confidence-Boosting Reboot

That’s when Emily found our Advanced Biosciences Program and was hooked by the flexibility in our curriculum.

“I had already taken most of the prerequisite courses, like organic chemistry,” she says. “The Advanced Biosciences Program allowed me to pick and choose the classes that I wanted to do and tailor it to my needs.”

Due to the nature of our customizable course plan through this program, Emily chose her first course—Current Topics in the Biosciences—and it was a revelation.

“Yes, my brain is starting to come alive!” Emily enthuses while thinking back on her experience with us. “That class was perfect because it’s an introduction to topics that were vaguely touched upon or weren’t even in development a decade ago—like CRISPR and other biotech advances. I was bummed that I missed the past 10 years!”

During the following few months, Emily immersed herself in courses like Immunology, Pharmacology, Molecular Cell Biology and Medical Microbiology. “The coursework is intense and academically challenging, which is really important to me. The instructors gave excellent, detailed feedback.”

Though the courses were online, she found the format surprisingly interactive and supportive. “The asynchronous classes were great because I could go at my own pace,” she says. “The discussion boards created a real exchange of ideas—I was so impressed by the quality of student comments.”

Acceptance Into Vet School—and the Next Chapter

Armed with fresh academic experience and a renewed confidence, Emily applied to vet school. In 2024, she was accepted into The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

“Completing the Advanced Biosciences Program showed vet schools that I know how to do hard science despite being out of the field for 10 years—I still got it.”

She found immediate value in taking our courses. Before vet school even started, Ohio State required a preparatory course called Jump Start. “It covered cellular and molecular biology, so having already taken that was a huge help.”

She now references her bioscience class notes regularly, especially during her externship at a shelter this summer. “From my Pharmacology course, we talked a lot about sedatives and analgesics, which comes up a lot in shelter medicine,” Emily relates.

What drives Emily now is a vision of more equitable veterinary care. Shelter medicine—with its emphasis on public service, data and access—feels like home.

“There’s a lot of population medicine and statistics in shelter work, which I love. And a lot of shelters are opening low-cost clinics that open up veterinary care to people who can’t afford it.

“That’s where my passion lies: really helping all animals—regardless of their owner’s paychecks—receive veterinary care,” Emily continues. “Everyone should be able to experience the human-animal bond.”

Completing the Advanced Biosciences Program showed vet schools that I know how to do hard science despite being out of the field for 10 years—I still got it.

Advice for Others Starting the Journey

For those considering a return to science or starting the Advanced Biosciences Program, Emily’s advice is grounded in persistence and presence.

“Put in the work. Give it more than you think it might take. The more you write, think, read and engage, the more feedback you’ll get—and the more you’ll learn,” she says.

“You may need to read the material multiple times. Take lots of notes and keep reviewing. But if you keep working at it, you’ll succeed and thrive.”

For Emily, earning the Award of Completion wasn’t just about academic achievement—it was personal. “It showed me that I could still do science, which was really rewarding after being away for so long. It was a huge confidence booster. If I can understand cell and molecular biology at UC Berkeley Extension, I can understand physiology at the doctoral level.”

Now well on her way to a meaningful career in veterinary medicine, Emily’s story proves that your path doesn’t have to be straight to be successful. Sometimes, a detour is exactly what brings you back to your purpose.