Drew Sligar, a third-year student at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, was recently honored with a scholarship. Sligar is the son of Ms. Kathy Reynolds of Central City, Illinois.
Sligar received the Dr. J. E. Salsbury Scholarship, awarded on the basis of financial need to a student with superior academics, initiative, perseverance, and potential for leadership.
At the College of Veterinary Medicine, Sligar served as a student representative for Royal Canin, Elanco, and BluePearl, helping coordinate educational events and mentorship opportunities for fellow veterinary students. He has also been actively involved in student outreach, including participation in admissions events at the college’s annual Open House. In January 2026, he interviewed applicants for the incoming veterinary student Class of 2030 as part of a team comprised of a faculty member, alumnus, and current veterinary student.
Sligar graduated from Christ Our Rock Lutheran High School in Centralia, Illinois. He received his associate degree in arts in 2020, and graduated from Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in 2023, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical sciences and another in animal science.
The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 35 veterinary schools in the United States. It pioneered an innovative veterinary curriculum that focuses on integrating the clinical skills and basic sciences relevant to veterinary practice throughout the four-year doctoral degree program. Students in the Illinois program, unlike those in other veterinary curricula, spend 15 weeks during the first two years of study embedded in veterinary practice areas and practicing clinical skills in an extensive learning center equipped with models and simulations.
