Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
Andrea Rocha bent down hugging her white and brown dog in a field of green grass.

Andrea Rocha, VG26

Andrea Rocha bent down hugging her white and brown dog in a field of green grass.

Biography

New Jersey
M.S. in Conservation Medicine ‘26
Biology
University of Central Florida 2019

Why did you choose to pursue this degree, and why did you choose Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine to pursue this degree?
I chose the MS in Conservation Medicine program because it is a perfect combination of my two passions, conservation and veterinary medicine. Throughout my education and career, I’ve always just been a part of one at a time. I chose Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine because I would really like to venture into the One Health approach. I’m looking forward to being exposed to different people with different career paths, while hopefully finding a way to forge my own.

What are your interests and/or experience relative to conservation medicine?
I started spreading the word about conservation during my time working at the Kilimanjaro Safari ride at Walt Disney World. Though introverted by nature, I found that it was something that I had a lot to say about. Since then, I’ve volunteered at zoos, in local water quality testing programs and contributed to the monitoring of bald eagle nests. I made a career as a veterinary technician in small animal veterinary medicine for the past 9 years, but due to growing up and spending a lot of time by the ocean, I would love to explore ocean conservation. 
What are your career goals after completing the program?

I don’t know what the end goal is for me just yet, but I know that in some way, I want to be an advocate for the well-being of all: plants, animals, and humans. I would love to find a way to connect veterinary medicine and conservation, but I am excited to see what the next year will bring.