April 4, 2025
Photo by Karen Clifford
Ashlyn Lewis knows what it means to fully dedicate herself to a craft. Before she stepped foot in a veterinary classroom, she spent nearly a decade as a professional ballerina, performing in iconic productions such as The Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet. But after years of intense training and discipline, Lewis found herself longing for more — a deeper purpose, where her passion could make a lasting difference in the lives of others.
“I started dancing when I was three,” Lewis said. “By the time I was 22, I was tired of seeing myself in the studio mirror. I wanted to be around people, to help them, not just perform for them.”
So, she moved back to California, attended community college and eventually transferred to Cal Poly Pomona, where she majored in animal science with a focus on pre-veterinary medicine. It was there that a visit from the University of Missouri’s Doug Tindall sparked her interest in Mizzou.
“I hadn’t really considered Mizzou before then, but when I came for a visit, I was surprised,” Lewis said. “I saw how much the faculty genuinely care about their students. The collaboration, the hands-on training and the resources available to students really impressed me.”
Resilience and community
Lewis was accepted into the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Class of 2027 and moved to Columbia in 2023.
“I had a lot going on when I first came to Mizzou,” Lewis said. “Not only was I transitioning from undergrad to veterinary school, but I had also moved halfway across the country and was dealing with some personal challenges.”
To help navigate these challenges, Lewis turned to the CVM embedded counseling team and scheduled appointments with Tiffany Sanford-Martens.
“Tiffany really helped me through a tough time,” Lewis said. “In the ballet world, you don’t often find people who genuinely care about your mental health. But at Mizzou, there are people you can reach out to who truly listen.”
Now in her second year at CVM, Lewis has found herself growing close to her classmates. She credits the discipline and resilience she honed as a ballerina for her smooth transition to veterinary school.
“There are a lot of similarities between ballet and vet school,” she said. “Both require grit, and you have to keep going, even when you fail — literally. That’s exactly what vet school demands.”
After graduation, Lewis plans to work in emergency veterinary care — and she sees herself staying in Missouri for the long term.
“Missouri has captured my heart,” she said. “There’s so much to do outdoors, and it’s so green. I see myself staying here and maybe having a little land — with some goats.”
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