Senior Raven Cantrell is an accomplished and busy person.

Cantrell can be identified by her short, curly, blonde hair and the colorful scarves she wears everyday.

“I wear my scarf all the time because it is colorful, like my personality, and it keeps me warm,” Cantrell said.

She loves to joke with others and talk about anything, but the conversation always leads back to her favorite subject: animals.

“I enjoy working with animals because I find them easier to work with than people, and they are cuter than most,” Cantrell said.

Cantrell worked hard to get into Vet Med II. Getting into the class is difficult because admittance into the class is all based on a student’s attendance and grades in Vet Med I.

Vet Med I consists mainly of learning about the anatomy of animals, while Vet Med II consists of learning about how to properly care for animals.

Being in Vet Med II, Cantrell does clinicals twice a year, once in the fall, and once in the spring.

For her clinicals, Cantrell goes to Luhring & Mars Veterinary Clinic in Frankenmuth.

Cantrell said that she has learned more at her clinicals than she ever could in a classroom. She hopes all of the information she has learned can help her have an edge over others in college and in her career.

With her high school career almost done, Cantrell sees that all of her hard work is paying off.

To become a veterinarian, Cantrell will have to be in college for eight years, and although she is not looking forward to the debt, Cantrell believes being a veterinarian is the only career for her.

Senior Allyson Donnelly has AP Literature with Cantrell and has known her for six years.

Donnelly said, “In the years that I have known her, art and animals have been her two passions. She has a multitude of facts that she can prattle off, as she does in AP Literature often.”

Sometimes the conversations can get a little uncomfortable when Cantrell talks about dehorning calves or euthanizing animals. Cantrell always has a good attitude when describing what she does.

Cantrell does not allow herself to get upset or cry because she has a job to do and getting upset will not accomplish what has to be done.

“The hardest part is seeing animals in pain, so I always want to help them, even if that means they have to be put down,” Cantrell said.

In addition, her love of animals carries into everything else she does.

Cantrell enjoys playing all types of Nintendo DS games and computer games. Her favorites are Pokemon and Harvest Moon because of the animals in them.

“I like Pokemon because it is colorful and I can set my own pace,” she said. “It has cute creatures and fun even after the game is over.”

Even her artistic talents center around animals, drawing and crocheting them.

Cantrell’s drawing reflects her personality with bright colors and adorable animals, and she mostly draws sheep, goats, and Pokemon with her most treasured item: her box of 64 Crayola crayons with the built in sharpener.

She said art relaxes her.

“I crotchet, color, and play games so the daily stresses of life do not get to me,” Cantrell said.

With only a few more months until Cantrell graduates, she is excited to move into the next stage of her life.

She will attend Ferris State University for pre-veterinary medicine in the fall.

“College is exciting because I will get to learn more about animals, and it is that much closer to being a veterinarian,” Cantrell said.

Donnelly believes veterinary medicine is the right choice for Cantrell.

“It is not hard to tell that she’ll be just as amazing of a veterinarian as she is a friend,” Donnelly said.