Skip to Main Content

For the love of animals and the theater

Pursuit of passions helps student find community

 

“Isn’t that what college is truly about--
finding your community and discovering what you’re passionate about?”

 

For as long as she can remember, Renee Bippus, a rising sophomore in animal sciences with a pre-veterinary medicine concentration, has had two great loves: animals and theater.

“Since elementary school, I have known that veterinary medicine was for me. It was the thing I was most passionate about. But theater has always been a close second.”

Finding a way to pursue both interests during her time in college was paramount in Bippus’ decision to attend Purdue University.

Bippus knew that a career in veterinarian medicine, with a focus on companion pets, was her dream job. She was drawn to Purdue because of its veterinary program, “I loved the small, intimate size of the program and the hands-on learning opportunities available to students.”

Renee Bippus works with a beagle in the vet lab.

She also knew that she wanted theater to remain a lifelong hobby, “I wanted a university where I could grow and thrive in both passions and Purdue offered opportunities for that.”

Bippus says she grew “in more ways than one, ”during her first year at Purdue. There were times when she admitted to feeling overwhelmed.  “Coming from a small town it was daunting at first to be at such a large university with a rigorous schedule, but the communities I found had my back and supported me. That really kept me going and helped me feel part of something bigger than myself,” she said.

As she works at an internship this summer in a veterinary office in her home town, Bippus is looking forward to her second year at Purdue. She is excited to return to the communities with which she feels so connected. “It’s the people I have gotten to work with and know that have made it worthwhile.”

 

Meet Renee Bippus

bippus-with-dog-2.jpg
Hometown: Mount Vernon, Indiana
College: College of Agriculture
Major: Pre-Veterinary medicine in the Animal Sciences department
Notable Accomplishments: Purdue Veterinary Scholar

Fun Facts:

renee-sitting-on-stage.jpg
  • Bippus' love for theater began in the fourth grade when she performed in her first show, “The Little Mermaid.”
  • Bippus also joined the Farrowing Club at Purdue her freshman year and became certified.
  • Bippus plans to be a veterinarian with a focus on companion pets, specifically dogs and cats.

Bippus appeared in the following shows at Purdue University in 2022-2023:

bippus-in-play.jpg

  • “Twelfth Night Goeth Awry”
  • “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon”
  • “Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play"
  • “Shakespeare in Love”

 

 

Featured Stories

Leo Koenigsfeld
Leo Koenigsfeld - Graduate Ag Research Spotlight

Leo Koenigsfeld grew up in a small town in central Missouri with the unlikely name of...

Read More
Bill and CD Young at a table in front of greenery in the Spirit and Elephant restaurant.
Purdue hosts new plant-based product development competition

A generous gift from the Young Family will drive food innovation at Purdue University over the...

Read More
Austin Grant with colleagues during his summer internship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
FNR Field Report: Austin Grant

Austin Grant, a senior majoring in aquatic sciences with a minor in military science and...

Read More
Kingsly Ambrose in front of the solar system model in Discovery Park on campus.
ABE professor recognized for advancing ag safety and health

Kingsly Ambrose, a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, was...

Read More
Rice inspects insects in the lab
When passions connect: insect biology meets history

Her love for insects started early. “From the moment I could walk, I was outside looking at...

Read More
Student wearing a white T-shirt works on a laptop covered in Purdue stickers while sitting at a table with a notebook open. The background shows other students studying in a large, well-lit space.
2025–26 Animal Sciences scholarship recipients announced

Purdue Animal Sciences awarded $72,200 in scholarships to students for the 2025–26 school...

Read More
To Top