Veterinary students selected for IFB loan program

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Illinois Farm Bureau recently selected three students for the Illinois Veterinary Student Loan Program, which aims to support the next generation of veterinarians focusing on caring for food animals.

The 2025 recipients are Carli Hoffman, Nashville; Brooklyn Westerfield, Paris; and Trevor Huene, Edwardsville.

All three recipients will receive the full $40,000 loan provided through the program.

“Illinois Farm Bureau is proud to support veterinary students pursue a career in caring for food animals,” said Tasha Bunting, IFB director of commodity programs and farm systems.

“To succeed, farmers need the services of a food-animal veterinarian to help them care for their cattle, swine, sheep and poultry. It’s an incredibly rewarding career field that has seen an increase in demand in recent years.”

The IVET program provides up to $40,000 to as many as three veterinary students each year to help offset the cost of education. Loans are provided for two to three years, and students in their fourth year are eligible for a $1,500 stipend.

Graduates must commit to working in a food animal practice that serves Illinois livestock producers and repay the loan over five years after graduation.

IFB established IVET in 2005. Since then, the organization has awarded more than $550,000 to 27 veterinary students focusing on food animal care in Illinois.

For more information about the program, visit www.ilfb.org/IVET.

About Carlie Hoffman

Hoffman is currently a student at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. She earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science from the U of I College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and an associate degree in science from Kaskaskia College.

In her IVET application, Hoffman wrote that the shortage of large animal veterinarians in her area has been a persistent and deeply felt challenge.

“My rural hometown is full of small family farms, each reliant on accessible veterinary care to maintain their livelihoods,” she said.

“This shortage has fueled my determination to pursue a career in rural mixed animal veterinary medicine. I aspire to be a dependable resource for producers, offering preventative care and assisting them in critical situations.”

About Brooklyn Westerfield

Westerfield is a student at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the U of I.

In her application letter, she wrote that working with large animals opened her eyes to the need for production animal veterinarians in rural areas.

“My goal to become a rural food animal veterinarian stemmed not only from a passion for the care of animals, but also from a strong sense of responsibility to serve the community that has shaped me into who I am today,” she said.

About Trevor Huene

Huene is a student at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate in upper-east Tennessee. He earned a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Illinois and a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University.

In his application, he said his goal is to bridge the gap between the care of companion animals and the undeniable needs of food animal producers.

“It is my aspiration to practice mixed animal veterinary medicine and make an impact on the lives of both animals and the people who depend on them,” he said.

“By offering affordable and reliable veterinary care, I hope to assist farmers so that they always have an expert they can reach out to for advice whenever the need may arise.”