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Animal science major to graduate as spring 2025 valedictorian
Posted on May 08, 2025
Andrea Rubio-Villa, the valedictorian of Fort Valley State University’s spring Class of 2025, will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science.
Since her freshman year in high school, Andrea Rubio-Villa wanted to pursue a career as a veterinarian or a researcher for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
This spring, she will be one step closer to that goal.
Rubio-Villa, a native of Coweta County, Georgia, will graduate from Fort Valley State University (FVSU) with a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science on Saturday, May 10, at 9:30 a.m. in the HPE Complex. She is FVSU’s spring 2025 valedictorian.
When she informed her high school advisor that she wanted to become a veterinarian, she told her to look for schools with undergraduate and or graduate programs to help her achieve her goal.
After graduating in 2021 from Northgate High School in Newnan, Georgia, Rubio-Villa decided to enroll in FVSU’s Veterinary Technology Program.
“I was doing my research on schools and came across Fort Valley State University. I first looked at the veterinary technology program because I wanted to be a veterinarian. I also thought it would be a good way to start my career,” Rubio-Villa said.
When she first arrived on the middle Georgia campus, she was amazed at its size. “It was like coming to a mini city,” she said.
Additionally, Rubio-Villa discussed why she selected her major.
“During my first semester, I attended a meeting for vet tech students. An instructor from the University of Georgia who is over admissions to its veterinary program talked to me. He recommended that I change my major to biology or animal science because the classes would cover the requirements needed for admission. I then changed it to animal science,” she said.
Villa-Rubio said she really enjoyed her academic experience at FVSU.
“I really liked how the professors taught us in class and provided us opportunities to practice what we learned in the field. I’m a very visual person and I like to get hands-on experience to know what to do. That helped me a lot in understanding my classwork,” Rubio-Villa said.
Furthermore, the future FVSU alumna gives credit to all her instructors for her academic achievements.
“Every single day, they helped me to guide me to the things I needed to be a veterinarian and gain a lot of experience in conducting research. I had a lot of opportunities to attend conferences and make oral presentations. Last year, I attended a conference in Nashville, Tennessee, and I won second place for an oral presentation,” Rubio-Villa said.
She also thanks her fellow classmates for giving her support when things got tough.
While immersed in her studies, Rubio-Villa did find time to participate in some extracurricular activities. One of them being a membership in Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS).
When Rubio-Villa informed her family that she would be valedictorian of her class, she said they were very proud of her, but they were not surprised.
“They know I’m a hard worker and that I’m dedicated to whatever I want to accomplish. I told them at the end of each semester that my goal was to get all A’s in my classes, and that’s how I achieved my GPA. They are very happy and told me ‘We knew you could do it,’” she said.
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