Easy smile and a quiet way
By ALLAN TINKER
One can almost imagine an animal quickly tuning into the calm nature of McClusky’s newest veterinarian at the Sheridan Animal Hospital. Andrea Lee, soon to be Schlafmann, would be hard pressed to choose between cattle and horses for her favorite choice in animals to treat.
While all animals are loved, the large animals hold a special interest for her, and where she helps her husband-to-be Blair and father Steve the most at home. "I like to do a little of everything but I am most comfortable with the cattle," Lee adds.
An achiever all through her school years, Lee could not recall particular awards she received, except for being the Volleyball District Senior Athlete, FFA Chapter president a couple of times and being TL-M Class of 2008’s valedictorian. Her greatest achievement, she admits, is finishing vet school.
"It was tough, being 800 miles away from home. The curriculum is intensive and there was much to study and I didn’t know anyone when I started there." Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, is where she completed her four years of training, after attending North Dakota State University for three years for the core classes and then an "early admit" to KSU.
After these classes are completed, she noted, "You apply, and interview and then if they like you, you are in!"
In her studies, the recalled the time they had two tigers from the Topeka Zoo that were ill for no readily apparent cause. They performed surgery on them to find out what was wrong but they didn’t survive.
She had earned scholarships for North Dakota in her senior year, in food and animals and public health areas.
Lee would like to have people know she is a hard worker and has good work ethics. She likes to spend time with her family and spends a lot of time helping her dad and Blair.
