For Eliu Puerto, veterinary medicine was not always his dream.

Growing up in a large family with nine siblings, Puerto watched his father, Joel, work long hours in veterinary medicine after immigrating from Monterrey, Mexico, to the U.S. To the younger Puerto, the strenuous profession looked exhausting.

The Sumrall resident initially planned to pursue carpentry after high school. But after finding construction work equally demanding, Puerto, now 21, reconsidered his future.

“At some point, I realized it’s not about money and it’s not about yourself,” he said. “It’s about the impact you can make.”

That realization ultimately led Puerto to Mississippi State University’s Veterinary Medical Technology program, where he recently graduated as part of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s 2026 class.

He had discovered the program almost by accident while browsing MSU’s website. One of only a few of its kind in the Southeast, the VMT program combines two years of prerequisite coursework with two years of specialized clinical and classroom training. During their final year, students rotate through the MSU veterinary teaching hospital, working directly with patients, clients and veterinary teams.

Puerto quickly found his place in the vet school’s clinical environment, particularly in anesthesia and intensive care.

“The doctors and technicians here are so encouraging,” he said. “If you want to learn and ask questions, they really invest in you.”

He recalled working through his first anesthesia case alongside a fourth-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student who also was very helpful.

“That support made such a difference,” he said.

Puerto, who served as president of his VMT class and was the program’s only male graduate this year, hopes future students approach the profession with humility and determination.

His advice to incoming students is simple: “Don’t procrastinate. The program moves fast.”

For Puerto, however, the challenge has been worthwhile. He credits faculty, residents and technicians for building his confidence and encouraging him to pursue a DVM degree.

This summer, he is working in anesthesia at CVM while completing physics and organic chemistry prerequisites needed to apply for veterinary school admission.

Dr. Maralyn Jackson, who heads the VMT program, said Puerto is the kind of student every program hopes for.

“He is motivated, thoughtful and genuinely invested in his future in veterinary medicine,” she said. “Throughout his time in the program, he consistently led by example, balancing strong academic performance with a sincere commitment to supporting and advocating for his classmates.”

Though his path to veterinary medicine was unexpected, Puerto now sees it as a calling.

“I’m here because this is where God wants me to be,” he said. “Every time I hit a wall, I remind myself why I’m here.”