MAKING IT IN THE 802: Kyle Bushee ’06

Kyle Bushee ’06 Veterinarian at Aeolus Animal Hospital & Equine Center Manchester, VT

Staying true to his Vermont roots

Horses, cows, mountains, trees. Vermont’s agricultural heritage and the beauty of its landscapes took root in veterinarian ’06 Burr and Burton graduate Kyle Bushee during his childhood in Manchester on his family’s horse and then Hereford farm on Richville Road (his parents, Robert Bushee and Jennifer Goodfellow Bushee are both ’83 Burr and Burton graduates). He has fond memories of riding dirt bikes and four‐wheelers around Equinox Pond, and helping his family run their sugaring operation. He is now a small‐animal veterinarian at Aeolus Animal Hospital & Equine Center in Manchester, Vermont. Since he was twelve, Kyle shadowed his uncle, veterinarian Bob Guttroff ’85, learning the ins and outs of the profession by working with cows and assisting in orthopedic surgeries on small animals. Kyle received a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science at UVM and earned his DVM at the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph, where he helped with the first EKG cardiology research on Thoroughbred race horses at Woodbine Racetrack. He returned to Vermont in 2014 and worked as a large animal veterinarian in Bennington and Washington, New York, counties before transitioning to work primarily in small animal veterinary medicine, a move that gave him the opportunity to live in the community where he grew up. “You have to go out and do other things before you know you want to do something you’ve been doing all along. Although it

doesn’t sound glamorous, there is more of a sense of accomplishment by helping familiar faces,” he says. When he was a student at Burr and Burton, Kyle was able to intern in a small animal hospital through the field study program which added to his depth of knowledge and to becomimg a more well‐rounded student. He remembers two faculty members in particular: “Bill Muench inspired me on both intrapersonal and interpersonal levels. He is still to this day the best guy to give pep‐talks that stick. Dave Curtis had somewhat unorthodox methods to teaching AP Biology but his twists and excitement with the material made it really easy to stay engaged and inspired me to stick with the field of biology.” Kyle credits Burr and Burton with helping him to be more outgoing and promoting work‐life balance. Kyle still helps run the family‐operated sugaring business, Bob’s Maple Shop, located on Richville Road in Manchester. Over 6,000 taps located in maple stands all over the Northshire provide the sap that is boiled down to syrup for both retail and wholesale outlets, including many local stores and restaurants. His hope for Vermont is that other young people will enjoy the same freedoms and opportunities he had while growing up. “In terms of community development, I see further development of specialized products and services that might eventually bring some of the younger generations back to Vermont.” o