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Fort Valley alumna sets sights on veterinary research
Posted on Aug 07, 2025
Destiny Absher, a 2025 Fort Valley State University graduate, aspires to become a veterinarian.
Destiny Absher is forging a path toward a future dedicated to the care and well-being of animals.
From the age of 5, her love for animals stood out as her true passion, surpassing other childhood dreams like becoming an astronaut or a singer. Her meaningful bond with small furry friends began with her grandmother’s dog, Roscoe.
“He was my little protector,” Absher said, smiling.
She recalled a family friend, who was a veterinarian, describing her occupation as helping animals, which sparked young Absher’s curiosity as well.
Adding to her early exposure to animals, her mother, Diane, sponsored an elephant named Ellie at the Greenville Zoo. “That was my elephant,” Absher declared. “I tend to call all animals that I interact with my babies. Animals always come to me.”
This affection stayed with the Greensville, South Carolina, native as she and her mother moved to Fairburn, Georgia, during her middle school years. The animal science pathway at Creekside High School only magnified her adoration for animals.
“I ended up falling in love with a rabbit named Cookie,” Absher said.
This classroom experience taught her the importance of spaying female rabbits due to health benefits like reducing the risk of uterine cancer. Her ambition is to one day open a veterinary clinic and provide pro bono days for schools and people who cannot afford to spay and neuter their fur babies.
As she began connecting the dots of animal care to agriculture, she also learned more about higher education opportunities since both of her high school advisers were Fort Valley State University (FVSU) alumni. They suggested she attend their alma mater or Tuskegee University to pursue her dream of becoming a veterinarian.
“Fort Valley was far enough that I could be myself but also come home,” Absher said.
For her, FVSU provided a foundation in animal science to obtain the knowledge and experience she needed before pursuing veterinary school. In 2025, she earned a Bachelor of Science in agriculture, majoring in animal science. As a student, she earned several scholarships, including one from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 1890 National Scholars Program.
“I would not have been in college if I had not had my scholarships,” she said, noting her mother has disabilities.
Absher cares for cows during her internship in Ames, Iowa.
A full-ride USDA scholarship under her belt, Absher interned for the National Centers for Animal Health’s Farm Management Service in Ames, Iowa, in 2023. The Agriculture Research Service sponsored this learning opportunity, which involved her feeding, cleaning and performing health checks on cattle, sheep and horses. She also engaged in a research project on fetal bovine serum to test for specific diseases in sheep.
Absher interacts with fawns.
In 2024, Absher returned to the facility to continue her previous work and take on additional responsibilities, including caring for bottle-fed deer. She worked with several fawns, administering vaccinations and providing regular feedings. After gaining experience over two summers, Absher began focusing on developing her clinical skills to further her veterinary training. She administered injections to treat animals and helped organize the pharmacy and feed warehouse.
“I gained clinical, organizational and social skills,” Absher said.
In addition to her internship, she was actively involved on FVSU’s campus as a member of the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) chapter, where she took part in panel discussions and attended conferences.
The future veterinarian also participated in the pep squad, suicide prevention efforts and recruiting students from her high school. She paid it forward by guiding students based on her own experience and the foundation that FVSU provided for her. During her time as a Wildcat, she visited Creekside High School to share the many educational opportunities at FVSU. She said at least seven students told her they chose to attend the historic land-grant university and major in agriculture because of her. This excited Absher, knowing she played a major role in their decision.
Although college can be challenging, her advice to students is: “You can make it through. If I can do it, why can’t you?”
Now a graduate of FVSU, Absher plans to pursue veterinary research with the USDA and hopes to gain international experience before attending veterinary school.
“I want to be the go-to expert in preventing diseases in animals and reducing transmission between animals and humans,” she said.
As she works toward her goals, Absher draws her greatest motivation from her mother and her late uncle, who worked for the Internal Revenue Service.
“He spoke it into existence. I am going to make him, my mother and my family prouder,” Absher said. “It is sheer determination. I worked hard to get to where I am. Nothing was getting in my way.”
To learn more about FVSU’s animal science program, visit https://bit.ly/animalsciencefvsu.
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