(Urbana, IL) – Deborah Murphy of Versailles has been accepted to the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in Urbana.
Admission to the college — which is one of only 34 veterinary schools in the nation — is highly competitive. Criteria for acceptance include grade point average, admission test scores, background and experience, and personal interviews.
Murphy is one of 160 members entering the Class of 2029.
Her class will participate in an innovative veterinary curriculum taught only at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Illinois, called the Illinois Integrated Veterinary Professional Curriculum.
Throughout the rigorous four-year program leading to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, coursework in anatomy, physiology, and other sciences is highly integrated with clinical material and focused on preparing new graduates for clinical practice.
In fact, Murphy and her classmates will spend eight weeks during the first semester of the program engaging in clinical areas of veterinary practice rather than attending lectures and laboratories.
After graduation, Murphy must also pass state and national board examinations covering knowledge of companion and food animal medicine in order to become licensed to practice.
Murphy graduated from South Ripley High School in 2022.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in science from the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana in 2025.
Murphy was involved in many activities and organizations as an undergraduate.
These included NAIA Cross Country, NAIA Cheer, and the Miss America Organization.
She also earned Miss Ripley County 2nd Runner up.
Murphy served as the founder and president of the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Pre-Veterinary Medical Association.
Murphy earned several honors, such as the Dean’s List High Honors (Fall 2022, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025) and the Dean’s List Honors (Spring 2023 and Fall 2023).
She also received the Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete award (2023-2024), the Outstanding Student in Chemistry Award (2023-2024), the Outstanding Biology Student Leader Award (2023-2024), the Frank Guthrie Award Recipient (2023-2024), the Organization Leader of the Year (2024-2025), and the Alumni Leadership and Service Award (2025).
“I would like to thank my grandmother (Audrey Gallant), my great aunt (Ruby Shnuck), my aunt (Liz Powers), my uncles (Kelly Powers and Marc Einhaus), and Ethan DeHamer and your entire family for believing in me – I love you!” Murphy said.
