If I hadn't chosen my present career, I would have become . . . I was a horse doctor for 10 years in Hawaii.
Veterinary medicine plays a critical role in food safety.
For instance, we inspect food animals to make sure they are safe to eat. My interest in public service is what really led me to my current career. I wanted to reach a high enough level where I would make a difference in public health. In government, the higher you advance, the more opportunity there is for directly influencing policies and programs that benefit public health. We wanted to determine if skinny cows were less safe to eat than fat, healthy cows.