Simmons Educational Fund Committed to Investing in the Next Generation of Veterinarians
St. Simons Island, Georgia – January 19, 2018 – The Simmons Educational Fund (SEF) honored Cynthia Kathir, a student at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, with the prestigious SEF National Business Aptitude Award.
The award is given to students to bring attention to the importance of business education in veterinary practice. Kathir was selected as the SEF’s 2018 Business Aptitude Award winner from among the outstanding national and international candidates based upon her resume and well-crafted response to the SEF Business Case Study.
The SEF awarded Kathir with $15,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Orlando where the award was presented at the National VBMA (Veterinary Business Management Association) meeting. Carly Watson Tobler, Simmons Southeast, attended the meeting and presented Kathir with her award.
“The VBMA students continue to impress me with their leadership abilities and organizational traits. I am extremely proud of Cynthia for winning the 2018 Business Aptitude Award and am confident she will excel in her dream of being a practice owner,” said Carly Watson Tobler, Simmons Southeast. “All students who participated this year exceeded my expectations by going above and beyond in case study performance and career development,”
Kathir plans to work as a small animal general practitioner after graduation. Then, ultimately, take the jump into ownership. “I am honored to accept the SEF Business Aptitude award this year,” Kathir said. “I am thankful for how much I learned throughout the process of competing for this award, and I know the knowledge will be invaluable as I proceed down the path towards practice ownership. I plan to use the award money towards my sizable veterinary school loans, which will help bring me one step closer to financial independence.”
About the SEF Business Aptitude Award:
• The award is offered to a 3rd-year veterinary student at each veterinary school in North America
• Regional winners are chosen for the $3,000 award
• The SEF regional winners then go on to the SEF national competition for a chance to win $15,000
• The award program is promoted by each Simmons & Associates’ office
• Since its inception 16 years ago, the SEF has donated over $1 million to the veterinary profession
About SEF
The SEF is a non-profit corporation founded in 2002 by Simmons & Associates. It was created to educate practitioners and students about the business of veterinary medicine. Since its founding, the SEF has reached thousands of veterinarians through its sponsorship of speaking engagements, CE meetings, and veterinary organizations such as VBMA, and others with similar goals. Additional information about the SEF can be found at www.simmonsedfund.org or by calling 208-664-5548.
About Simmons & Associates
Simmons specializes exclusively in veterinary practice sales, valuations, and negotiations. For over 41 years, Simmons has been a trusted business advisor and broker to thousands of veterinarians buying and selling practices. Veterinarians can learn more about buying or selling a practice at www.simmonsinc.com or by calling 800.333.1984.
Contact:
Stacy Cadieux, Executive Director
stacy@simmonsinc.com | 479.876.8067
