April 7, 2021
Dreaming early, setting goals
Laurinburg, North Carolina is a small town known for its big oak trees. It’s an All-American city about an hour and a half from the state’s metropolitan areas. It embraces the idea of hospitality with its historical homes and brick-laden main street buildings.
Years ago, Drs. Kurt and Valeriana Jute sat down in their Laurinburg home to watch “Dr. Doolittle” with their daughter Nikki. The story has its origins in the 1920s, and it’s about a physician who would much rather deal with (and talk with) animals than human patients.
“I was like 5 or 6 years old,” said Nikki Jute. “I told my mom and dad that’s exactly what I want to do.”
Though the Jutes hoped their daughter would follow in their physician footsteps, they fully embraced their daughter’s aspirations moving forward.
What does one do?
After speaking with Jute, you get the immediate sense that her eye is constantly on the ball and her love for animals is unsurpassed. You also sense that she planned her predestination from the get-go.
She wanted to be a veterinarian.
“All through middle and high school, I joined the 4H and volunteered at human societies and little things in our small town,” said Jute.
As her high school days came to a close, Nikki knew she wanted to go to a big school, and the only big North Carolina school she looked at was East Carolina University.
“(ECU) was the most welcoming and inviting place,” Jute said. “Though I looked at other schools, I also knew from the beginning that I would be going to ECU.”
Nikki Jute, far right, protecting a nest of sea turtles.
A means to an end
As Jute charted her course to becoming a veterinarian, she understood the skills and know-how to successfully operate her future practice could be found at ECU. She joined the College of Business as a freshman, focused on marketing and soaked in the leadership curriculum and industry knowledge found within the College and with its faculty.
“I wanted to have that business background so I could properly run and operate (my own practice),” said Jute. “I really enjoyed the marketing aspect (of what I learned).”
Jute took full advantage of her time at ECU and the College of Business. While on her way to earning a 4.0 GPA, she volunteered at animal clinics and eventually landed a job at one. She also participated in various internship programs, where she got to work with different species of animals. All of this to confirm that veterinary school was exactly what she wanted to do with her future.
Let’s not forget about the additional 39 prerequisite hours Jute needed to get into veterinary school, on top of the 120 hours required for her BSBA. All of which added essentially a year’s worth of classes for her to complete.
Nicely, indeed
Not only is she graduating with that aforementioned 4.0 GPA, but she was also accepted into North Carolina State’s veterinary program.
Jute plans to complete her veterinary coursework in four years. She doesn’t know when she’ll open her practice, but it will most likely be in a town like Laurinburg.
“Where I come from, we have a lot of lower-income households that are looking for quality veterinary care, and often they can’t afford it,” said Nikki. “I’m hoping to give back to a community that’s like my hometown.”
The College of Business is known for building leaders, and Nikki Jute is proof positive.
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