Many veterinarians can take care of household pets. Prospective veterinarian Bryant Wiley ’20, who graduated in December, likes dogs and cats as much as anyone; he just has a little more familiarity with animals that have horns and hooves than others might.

“Coming out of high school, I knew that I wanted to be a vet, but I was pretty set on dogs and cats. If it clucked or mooed or had hooves, I was not going to do it,” he said. “That all changed when I came to N.C. A&T.”

Wiley has had plenty of company as an aspiring veterinarian at N.C. A&T. The university ranks second among universities in the nation when it comes to graduating African Americans who go on to pursue their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.

N.C. A&T was never far away while Wiley was growing up. His mother, an accountant, was a loyal graduate of the Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics, and she brought up Wiley to feel the same way.

“I grew up going to homecoming and being on campus because my mom was an Aggie grad,” Wiley said. “She wore the spirit wear. We had a dog named Aggie at one point. You could say I was born to be an Aggie.”

Once Wiley settled on animal science and saw the University Farm on a campus tour, he knew that A&T was the right school for him.

“Once I knew what I wanted to do, there was no other option for me. I didn’t want to be one in a thousand,” Wiley said. “The smaller class sizes, the ability to go to the farm, and the chance to have more significant interactions with professors sold me.”

Seeking out opportunities as a freshman, Wiley joined the Pre-Vet Club and the Poultry Science Club, and worked his way to leadership roles in each. His advisor suggested he major in laboratory animal science and supplement by working on the farm to be well-rounded.

The student job was a great fit. For two years, Wiley worked in the beef, small ruminants, horses and poultry units, doing whatever needed doing that day.

“I was the extra set of hand for whatever they needed – sweeping up, feeding animals,” he said. “I am so grateful for that job; it gave me the chance to have significant experience with the large animals. That exposure helped me see beyond the dogs and cats to possibly have a more expansive vet career.”

Animal science professor Andrea Gentry-Apple, Ph.D., emerged as a mentor for Wiley. So, too, did Antoine Alston, Ph.D., associate dean, and Anthony Hooks, the longtime coordinator of the farm’s poultry unit.

“Dr. Gentry-Apple kept the fire under my feet whenever she felt I wasn’t giving 100 percent. Dr. Alston was a male mentor-figure for me in a department that is mostly female,” Wiley said. “Anthony Hooks was the father figure I needed because my father is in Kernersville. He helped me with life as well as college, and helped me grow as a person.”

Although the online courses and restrictions on social gatherings made necessary by the COVID-19 pandemic made his final year unusual, the learning experience hasn’t been compromised, Wiley said. Neither has his desire to go to on veterinary school.

“I’m ready for vet school,” he said. “I have a love for the small animals and building a client relationship; I also have a love for food animals and supplying for the food chain. I’m also interested in the business side of being a vet, and the research side. I’ll have to make up my mind which direction to go in.”

As he makes his next move, Wiley said, he’s confident in the preparation he received in the Department of Animal Sciences.

“A&T will always be near and dear to my heart. I don’t think I’ll ever stray from being called an Aggie.” he said. “The plugged-in professors and the alumni can reach out a helping hand and line you up to be successful. Having A&T attached to you opens a lot of doors.”