De’Shonna Jones Named Dolores Goller Scholarship Recipient

De’Shonna Jones, a Louisiana resident and Southern University and A&M College graduate, has been named the first Dolores Goller Scholarship recipient. Jones, who was accepted by three veterinary schools, has committed to the University of Missouri and will be a member of the incoming College of Veterinary Medicine Class of 2024.

The Goller Scholarship comes in the form of $25,000 per academic year, which means when Jones qualifies for in-state residency, the scholarship will provide her with full tuition funding for her veterinary education.

The video captures the moment when Jones learned she had been awarded the scholarship.

In her scholarship application, Jones wrote about the importance of diversity and connecting people with different backgrounds. While pursuing her bachelor’s degree in animal sciences, Jones had experiences that helped her further her knowledge of diversity. Studying the veterinary profession overseas in Belize, Jones said she learned about the differences in culture, as well as the community diversity. She also assisted people in need during the 2016 flooding of Baton Rouge through her university-organized Animal Disaster Relief Wellness Clinic. “Volunteering there opened my eyes to the diversity of the community and how many individuals were not financially able to take care of their dogs the way they would like to,” wrote Jones.

It was these experiences, and her demonstrated knowledge of diversity in veterinary medicine, that led CVM Dean Carolyn Henry and Associate Dean for Student Affairs and interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Angela Tennison to choose De’Shonna Jones as the Dolores Goller Scholarship recipient for the MUCVM Class of 2024.

Ida Dolores Goller was born Dec. 6, 1926, in St. Louis, Missouri. She passed away Oct. 29, 2015. She was a resident of St. Charles, Missouri. The scholarship in her name was funded through an estate gift she established.