An animal sciences student and a 3-time national champion boxer. What comes to mind when you think of the two? Probably not much. Unless we’re talking about Shelby Harrison of course, a previous animal sciences student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and current Doctor of Veterinary Medicine candidate, who was a national boxing champion through the Illini Boxing Club.

Harrison has known she has wanted to go to the University of Illinois and be a veterinarian since she was a kid, which has been a much different path from the rest of her family.

“I came from a blue-collar family that didn’t go to college, so I knew coming to a Big 10 school was going to open up my world with opportunity,” said Harrison.

The road to where she is now hasn’t always been easy. Shelby graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 2020, during the midst of the COVID pandemic, adding some additional challenges in the process of applying and getting into the postgraduate program at the College of Veterinary Medicine.

“My senior year I’m taking organic chemistry 2 online, and no one knew how to assimilate. I remember one of our midterm exams where, the whole system crashed, and so you had to deal with stress in a whole different way.”

But even though the process was a challenge, Harrison said her time as an undergraduate in the Department of Animal Sciences at the U. of I. prepared her well, and equally importantly, assured her that she was on the path she wanted to be on.

Harrison said registered student organizations such as Pre-Vet Club were some of the best ways to get opportunities and build up a resume on campus in order to have a strong application to any postgraduate veterinary program. Through this group she was able to shadow at different clinics and meet people with similar interests.

She mentioned that one of the strongest elements of the Animal Sciences program at the U. of I. is their far-reaching courses and the ability for students to participate in hands-on learning. To many, this experience can be eye-opening.

“I know people who had literally barely even touched an animal, never seen a cow in person – here they immerse you in the setting. Pre-Vet Club puts you in a position that lets you shadow with surgeons and clinicians, it’s very motivating,” said Harrison.

“Undergrad here is really affiliated with vet med, we have such close ties with every department that you can get experiences of all sorts.”

Harrison has also overcome challenges and found a community with the Illinois boxing community during her time as an undergraduate. While she initially joined the club for general fitness purposes, she ended up discovering a passion.

“It just kind of clicked for me, you know how some things you can try so hard, but you struggle with it still? That was me with basketball and volleyball, but I quickly accelerated in the boxing team,” she said.

Harrison tried out and made the team in her first year in club. Unfortunately, she tore a ligament in her foot that would have disrupted many people’s entire season. Instead of falling behind due to injury, she had a different approach.

“I still trained and sparred, with my boot on and everything. I tore a ligament and couldn’t walk for three months. I had a month until my national championship and had to lose like 15 pounds, but I did it and I won. I loved that adrenaline rush.”

Harrison joined Illinois Boxing Club in her sophomore year and went on to win a national title every year she participated in the club, making her a 3-time (2018, 2019, 2021) champion with the United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association (USIBA). She was inducted into the USIBA Hall of Fame in 2023.

Make no mistake though, her success in the ring was due to a lot more than natural talent. She gave up countless hours, nights, and free time in order to become the best. Obviously, the hard work paid off.

Boxing didn’t just improve Harrison’s physical fitness though; it helped improve all aspects of her life. The discipline she used to train for her boxing career was reflected in improvements with her academics and helped her build a tight-knit community of lifelong friends.

Now, Harrison has directed this energy and focus towards becoming a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in the Class of 2027, and one can easily imagine that with her past successes, she will accomplish this goal as well.