My Take Tuesday: Investing Forward

Several years ago, I had the chance to attend a unique hands-on veterinary training event that left a lasting impression on me. What made it memorable wasn’t just what was taught—but where it happened and who it was meant to serve.

This was a high-level reproduction wet lab hosted and delivered by the Society for Theriogenology, an organization dedicated to reproductive science and clinical excellence. The instructors were pioneers in our field—individuals whose work has shaped how reproductive medicine is practiced across species and across the world.

And yet, this elite, specialty-level training wasn’t held at a university or research institute.

It was hosted at James Madison High School in San Antonio, Texas.

That detail matters.

The school had invested in a remarkable agricultural and science program—facilities, labs, and learning spaces that rival many colleges.

When young people are trusted early—when professionals take the time to teach, mentor, and include them—it changes the trajectory of their lives. It tells them: You belong here. Your future matters. Someone sees potential in you.

We often talk about “the future” as something abstract, something that will simply arrive on its own. But the future doesn’t build itself. It is shaped intentionally by people who are willing to invest time, energy, and experience into the next generation.

Every one of us can trace our path back to someone who opened a door—a teacher who stayed late, a mentor who took us seriously, a professional who said, Come stand next to me. Let me show you how this works.

Those moments matter more than we realize.

The students who walk those halls today will become tomorrow’s veterinarians, scientists, educators, business leaders, and public servants. Not because they were told they had to—but because someone believed in them early enough to make a difference.

If we want a strong, compassionate, and capable future—whether in veterinary medicine or any profession—we must be willing to invest in students now.

Mentorship isn’t optional. It’s how legacies are built.

If we want a profession that is resilient, ethical, innovative, and compassionate, mentorship cannot be optional. It is not a courtesy. It is an obligation we inherit—and must pass forward.

The return on that investment is immeasurable.

The future doesn’t need more spectators.

It needs mentors.

It needs pioneers willing to teach.

It needs professionals who invest downward, not just outward.

That is how legacies are built—not by looking back, but by investing forward.

And that is My Take.

N. Isaac Bott, DVM