Lyle Breaux
Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine
I don’t really know my Dad. In fact, I don’t know him at all. I was only 3 years old when he was shipped off to Angola Prison, the largest, maximum security prison in the country ran by the State of Louisiana. But I wasn’t surprised to find out that he works with the horses at Angola Prison. I guess I’m saying we may have something genetically in common. I was born a horse whisperer and possess a natural way with all animals, especially horses. It has been my dream to become a veterinarian since I was a child.
For the Inmates at Angola, it is consider a real privilege to be assigned to work with the horses. You must have 10 years there with good behavior, while you jumping through hoops to land that gig. I can certainly see how working with the horses would make life a little better in there. I can’t even imagine how life must feel like for him.
Of course, I don’t know what it feels like to have a dad around. It was a constant void to not have a dad at baseball games or holidays—-so much for Father’s Day. I was jeolous when my friends would do things with their dads, like camp outs. Sometimes they would invite me to come along, but that actually made me feel worse.I’ve never talked about him to my friends, and they never brought it up much either. It was always something that brought me shame, I guess. It didn’t matter that nobody talked about it, because everybody knew about it. And this thing that nobody talks about will never go away because nothing will every be different. He’s never coming home, and why do I even care? Because he’s my dad. That fact won’t change either. And no matter what he did or what anyone things or says, I love him. I want him to love me and be proud of me. All that said, I end up right back in the time warp called my life.
I can always count on my ol’ girl Ginger to make me laugh. She
bites! I have had her since I
was 13. She’s been my solid—-
always consistent. guess you
could say she’s my “comfort animal”.
Admission to veterinary school can be extremely competitive, so I have to put my studies as a priority above all else. Completing the educational steps requirements is a necessary challenge to secure a role in the profession. Veterinary schools require a bachelor's degree from an accredited university, but most do not mandate a specific major as long as you complete certain prerequisite courses in biology, chemistry, and physics, while maintaining a respectable GPA. It is also favorable if you have a part-time job working with animals in some capacity. All of this speaks volumes on the resume too.
I hope my dad will be proud of me. I don’t hear from him much, but I don’t write him much either. There’s really not much to say. . But I am grateful that I have the goals and the grades to pursue the career I desire. I would hate to think that my fate could be like his, but that is the kind of gloom statistics tell us. But I will not let that happen.
Thanks to all you supporters out there, because this has really been a blessing. I am on my way!
Lyle Breaux
Lyle’s advice to others in a similar situation:
Don’t pretend it doesn’t matter.
Let people help when they offer.
You don’t have to carry everything alone.
When life is hard, just know it doesn’t define the rest of your life.
