Set Up for Success

College of Coastal Georgia senior Riley Elkins ’25 was the only student in the state of Georgia to be accepted into the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis—the most prestigious vet school in the nation—for the Class of 2029. The graduate program only has approximately 140 seats—20 of which are allotted to out-of-state students—Elkins now being one of them.

When Elkins received the call that she was accepted into UC Davis, she was in utter shock and wondered why they chose her out of thousands of applicants. However, Elkins was able to set herself up for success by taking advantage of her opportunities at the College and in the Brunswick-Golden Isles area. By leveraging her resources and stepping out of her comfort zone, Elkins is headed to California to further her education and make her dream of becoming a vet a reality.

Elkins is originally from Powder Springs, Georgia, and while in high school at Hiram High School, she took dual enrollment courses at Kennesaw State University. She thought her collegiate career would lead her to the University of Georgia, which has a very popular vet school, until she got a promotional email from the College of Coastal Georgia. She had never heard of the institution and visited the website to learn more. It was two weeks before Destination Coastal, an open house event hosted by the Office of Admissions for prospective students and their families. Destination Coastal gives students a glimpse into what life is like at the College, with an opportunity to meet students, professors, deans, housing staff, financial aid counselors, and learn about student services. She decided it was worth it to take a look.

“I came down here with my mom and just immediately fell in love,” Elkins said. “Just the atmosphere down here after talking with students and hearing their experiences, it really resonated with me and with what I thought I would be successful with.”

Elkins liked the smaller class sizes, being able to form connections with professors, and the Brunswick area. Both the College and region were prime locations for her career aspirations.

“I didn’t realize how many animal classes I would be able to take. I was fortunate enough to take coursework in my field, like animal physiology and zoology. Also, there’s a bunch of veterinarian clinics in the area, local farms, and the Jekyll Sea Turtle Center—where I volunteered,” she said. “It was everything that I was looking for in one. It felt like home. I had that love at first sight moment. I was walking around and said, ‘I can see myself here.’ I had been to UGA, but this is where I thought I could be most successful, and it’s proven to be true.”

The only vet school in the state is at UGA. This means that almost every aspiring veterinarian in the state has their mind set to attend UGA.

“They have 200 to 300 pre-vet students there and they only have one or two clinics in the area—also a humane society and animal control. Trying to find a position at a clinic or some kind of experience there would be hard with all the competition,” she said. “After thinking about it, to set me up for this end goal, Coastal and the area could give me everything that I need, including coursework and one-on-one time with professors that can lead to great letters of recommendation. Doing research is another thing that I’ve been lucky to be able to do while here. At a bigger school, I may not have that opportunity because there are so many people and so much competition.”

By thinking outside of the box and choosing a different route, Elkins was still able to take the necessary courses and gain significant vet experiences.

The Kind of Vet She Wants to Be

Elkins has always loved animals and felt a special connection with them. She always wanted to do something with animals.

“I’ve been to zoos and aquariums, but as I got older, I wanted to be the person caring for them doing the diagnostics and surgeries. My local vet back home was the one who introduced me to that side. Growing up, we would bring in my dogs to him. He said, ‘When you’re 16, you can come and shadow me. I’ll let you watch the procedures.’ I was so happy that I could get in and see stuff, but then COVID hit.”

Elkins wasn’t able to shadow her home vet due to COVID restrictions, but later as a teen volunteer at the Georgia Aquarium, she was able to talk with the veterinarians there. They introduced her to the aquatic side of veterinary medicine, and she fell in love with that area of specialty. Being near the coast was another reason why the College was a good fit.

In addition to being an outstanding student, Elkins is a vet assistant at Seaside Veterinary Hospital under the guidance of Dr. Matison Hanish. She started as a volunteer in September 2022 and was being trained to become a vet technician. In January 2023, she was hired as a vet assistant. Under Hanish’s mentorship, Elkins can now do blood draws, catheter placements, intubation, dental cleaning and polishing, surgery prep, help with surgery, give vaccines, medications, and more—all firsthand experiences and skills that she was able to acquire during her time in undergrad that she may not have been able to anywhere else.

“Dr. Hanish lets me get hands-on in surgery too. I’ve neutered a cat, a rabbit, I’ve helped with exploratory surgeries, gastropexies, and cystotomies. Dr. Hanish would say, ‘I’d kill to have had these experiences when I was your age. That’s why I’m giving you all these opportunities. I didn’t have these situations. I want to give you all these opportunities to learn and practice,’” Elkins said.

Not only did she gain invaluable skills early on in her academic career, Elkins also learned what kind of vet she wants to be, thanks to the character and mentorship of Hanish. Elkins shared that her dog Sophie, a chi-weenie mix, took a turn for the worst in January 2025. She was taken to their home vet, different from the vet she grew up with, who said that Sophie was fine. Sophie was given her shots and deemed good to go. However, Elkins’ mom called her to say that something still wasn’t right. Sophie was wobbling and not eating. She wasn’t herself.

“My birthday is in February, and my mom was going to come down anyway. I told her to bring Sophie along so that I can look at her and bring her to the vet where I work. When my mom came and brought Sophie, Dr. Hanish took a look at her. She asked, ‘Did you know that she has a heart murmur?’ We said no. It was a six out of six, the worst grade that it can be.”

Elkins immediately started to wonder how the previous vet missed Sophie’s heart murmur. Did he not listen hard enough? Should they have done something different? All these different questions came to mind. Within a month, Sophie’s health continued to decline.

“Dr. Hanish was so kind and compassionate. She was giving us all of these options, but having worked in the clinic after a year and a half, I had seen so much with heart disease. I knew what it would end up being. I knew the medications and how to manage it. It was so far along that there was no way to manage it. We ended up putting her down because she was so miserable,” Elkins said. “There was that moment of going back and forth, wondering how he didn’t catch it. Being in that space, I decided that now when I go to vet school, I will make sure to be transparent, open, and the best doctor I can be, and do what I can in the situation. Dr. Hanish has been excellent in helping me with that. Losing Sophie, I know what one doctor did, and I know what the other doctor did. I’ve seen the whole spectrum of how doctors can be, and now I know where I want to be on that spectrum. Dr. Hanish has been a big mentor and guiding light—the kind of doctor I want to be.”

Number One Vet School in the Country

Elkins will now hone in her skills further as a vet student at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in Davis, California. Applying to UC Davis was a last-minute decision. Elkins used an application portal where one inputs their information, resume, transcripts, experiences, etc., and then adds the graduate programs where they went their application to be sent. It costs about $250 to apply to each school, which made Elkins wonder if it was worth applying to UC Davis. She had to consider so many questions. Did she want to apply there? Could she see herself living in California? Did she even have a chance of getting in? She decided to go for it, and in November 2024, she got an email from UC Davis requesting a virtual interview—which she didn’t expect to get. The interview process was tricky. Using an online, virtual format, Elkins went through 10 different interview rooms that each had an interviewer asking questions. The interviews were timed, and when time was up, Elkins was automatically put into another room—even if she was in the middle of answering a question.

“There was a time limit, so to answer all these questions and get my point across in a timely manner was very difficult. There was one interviewer where I could barely hear him through his microphone. I could barely hear the question and was freaking out,” she said. “With one interviewer, we had gotten through only two questions. He was about to ask a third, then my time cut off and it went to the next room. After the interviews, I thought, ‘I really bombed this. This is where they draw the line with my application,’” Elkins said.

She was told that she would hear something back from them by the end of January, and in the meantime, Elkins interviewed with other vet schools. When Elkins got the call, she was sitting on her couch doing homework. It was around 7:30 in the evening and she wondered who would be calling her at that time. “Davis, California” appeared on the caller ID screen and she dropped her folder onto the floor. One of their student ambassadors from the admissions committee was on the line and offered her a seat for the Class of 2029. Elkins sat there in silence, speechless at hearing the news. She was in disbelief, especially after thinking she did a terrible job during the interviews.

“There are so many people who apply to vet school who don’t get in their first time. Some people take four or five years to get in. Some have 4.0 GPAs and thousands of hours of experience, and they just never get in. For me, getting into UC Davis on my first try was very much a feeling of imposter syndrome. I wondered, ‘Why did they pick me?’ They are very picky with their out-of-state students. They only accept 20 out-of-state students, and I was one of the 20—this girl from small-town Georgia. Why did they pick me?” she said.

Elkins then started to rethink the situation. There was obviously something they liked about her to make them offer her a spot. Although still surprised at her acceptance, she has since embraced that a small-town girl from Georgia is indeed worthy of a spot in the program. Elkins recently visited UC Davis for an admitted students day event. She described California as having a “different vibe” and she could see herself on campus at UC Davis.

“I met so many amazing students, and their faculty is so nice. Their campus is beautiful and their town they’re in is small, but not too small, and it’s lively. That’s what I love about it,” Elkins said. “Everybody bikes and everything is so green. You look around, and everywhere you look, you see mountains. You look east and you can see the snowcapped Sierra Nevada. It’s so beautiful and just 10 minutes from Sacramento.”

At the end of the event, Elkins stood in front of the UC Davis vet building, took out her iPad, and accepted her seat.

“Many people think that a small school wouldn’t prepare you the way a big school would,” Elkins said. “It may be a small school, but it can really set you up for success.”

Coming Full Circle

Coming to Destination Coastal was a pivotal moment for Elkins. It was then that she decided to become a Mariner. She now works to pass on that same certainty about the College as a student ambassador for the Office of Admissions, giving tours and sharing her experience as a Mariner.

“I remember the tour guide being so nice, so when I got there, that was something that I wanted to do,” she said. “I remember having that friendly experience that you just don’t get everywhere. I wanted to be that somebody to other aspiring students.”

One time after giving a tour to a family, they emailed Admissions commending Elkins for how well she did. They praised her for being welcoming and kind in answering their questions.

“Seeing the impact that I’ve had on people during tours who’ve said, ‘You’ve just solidified me coming here’ is so fascinating and shocking every time. Being able to see the impact I can have on others was not something I expected to enjoy. It helped me build that skillset and make a difference in future students’ lives. It’s very rewarding for me,” she said.

Elkins enjoys recruiting other students to be student ambassadors. Some students who’ve noticed or overheard her talking to a tour group, will ask her about the position and how she is able to do something like that. This gives Elkins another opportunity to not only share her story, but also form new connections with students across campus. She was very shy growing up and tended to stay within her own bubble. Being a tour guide helped reshape her outlook. If she wasn’t open and personable with visitors, how could she express the benefits of life at Coastal Georgia? Being a tour guide has helped her to be more open and improve her public speaking skills.

“Trying to be personable years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. Now, I love to do it. I love doing tours and I love meeting new people—new students, new freshmen, new transfer students—people who haven’t had an experience here yet.”

The biggest thing she learned about herself is that she can come out of her shell without being completely scared and embarrassed.

Getting Involved

In addition to being a student ambassador, Elkins has been involved in a number of organizations during her time at the College. Her freshman year, she joined the Sailing Club, was the founding secretary of the Environmental Science Club, and then after merging with Biology Club, was the founding secretary of the Life Sciences Club. She founded the Pre-Med/Pre-Vet Club, serving as vice president, and is the vice president of the Astronomy Club. Elkins is also senior senator in the Student Government Association, a tutor, and supplemental instructor for animal physiology. Elkins has volunteered at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, The Farm at Oatland North, and worked with horses at her friend’s family farm.

“I do so much on campus. I’ve done so much more than I ever thought I would be able to do—especially compared to a big school,” she said.

One of her favorite memories is of the Homecoming tailgate in October 2023. It was the first year of the Pre-Vet/Pre-Med Club, and she and her friends had a lot of fun setting up for the event. They met a lot of students, and Salty the Mariner stopped by their table to play skee-ball.

“It was one of the first ones I had set up for. There were so many other clubs there. It was so fun to see everybody in one place, and seeing so many people come through and enjoy the event,” she said. “We had so many people stop by our table who want to go to pharmacy school or dental school. We had people from radiology also ask about the club, wanting to be a part of it. It was just lively and happy. That whole environment was one of the highlights of my time here. It really showed how everybody on campus can get together and enjoy themselves.”

For Elkins, the best kept secret about the College is the sense of community and belonging on campus.

“Everyone is accepted and everybody has a place on campus somewhere. There’s so much to do and get involved in. There’s something for everybody. I feel like Coastal makes that effort to make everybody feel wanted and included. That’s something you can’t always find on the website. You see the list of the clubs, but you really have to come down and talk to people and see for yourself and experience it.”

Her advice to other students is to not be afraid to ask—whether for personal or academic matters.

“Don’t be afraid to ask and get involved, and be a part of something. If you’re struggling in class, we have tutors. You can ask a tutor or your professor for help. If it’s something personal, we have the Office of Well-Being. We have people here to help with that. I know some people who don’t want to take advantage of that, and some who don’t know that we even have that. Whatever is going on, don’t be afraid to ask, because we don’t judge,” she said.

She encouraged students with a lot of free time to get involved. If there is something they want to do on campus, inquire about it.

To help her relax after such a busy schedule, Elkins plays one-person card games. The mathematical, logical structure of the games challenges her. She also enjoys crocheting, which keeps her hands busy and makes her focus. Designing flyers, t-shirts, and logos for her organizations allows her to explore her creativity and calms her down, she said.

When Elkins steps onto the UC Davis campus, she’ll be more than ready. Not only does she have academic success and hours of veterinarian training, but she already knows exactly what kind of vet she wants to be due to her experiences at Coastal and in the area—open, welcoming, professional, caring, and compassionate. The best vet anyone could ask for.