Long before she stepped into a college biology lab or filled out veterinary school applications, Elly Holubar ’26 was a girl reading to cats in the barn.
Growing up on a farm near Solon, Iowa, Holubar spent her childhood surrounded by animals. Her family raised livestock through 4-H, showing cattle, pigs, sheep, and rabbits while learning the responsibilities that came with caring for them. Over time, those experiences shaped the future she envisioned for herself.
“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve grown up around so many animals,” Holubar said. “I think that farm experience really created my passion at a really young age.”
That passion stayed with her as she began thinking seriously about college and eventually a career in veterinary medicine. Holubar knew she wanted a program that would prepare her for the realities of veterinary school and give her opportunities to stand out as an applicant.
“When I toured St. Ambrose, I was really looking for a strong biology department,” she said. “Would they have the facilities and the classes that would provide me with a really unique experience?”
After meeting faculty and learning more about the department, she felt confident she had found the right fit – a decision she says ultimately paid off.
Growing through the biology program
Once on campus, Holubar quickly immersed herself in her BS in Biology program. Between clubs, tutoring, and lab experiences, she spent much of her college career in Lewis Hall getting to know professors and classmates.
“When you come in your first year, you want to join every club. You want to get to know all the professors while you’re taking hard classes,” she said with a laugh.
Over time, those day-to-day interactions turned into meaningful relationships that shaped her college experience just as much as the coursework itself.
“As graduation approaches, I’ve really had to reflect on how much I’m going to miss a lot of the faculty,” she said. “You really grow a bond with them.”
Holubar also became deeply involved in tutoring, helping underclassmen work through difficult biology and anatomy concepts while strengthening her own understanding along the way.
“It sometimes feels like I am a professor of that class,” she said.
For her, tutoring became more than an academic responsibility. It was a chance to support other students the same way faculty had supported her.
“Just to be considered by the professor that I was efficient enough and successful enough in their course to then pass on my knowledge was a really big honor,” she said.
Hands on learning in biology
Some of Holubar’s most memorable experiences happened outside a traditional classroom setting. During her sophomore year, she traveled to Belize on a study abroad trip focused on marine biology, giving her the chance to study ecosystems she had only learned about in textbooks.
“That was a super fun experience, and one that I will be forever grateful for,” she said. “I got to study marine biology there and grow closer with our chaperones who were there.”
Another defining experience came in the cadaver lab, where Holubar was one of just 16 students accepted into the advanced anatomy course. Working alongside retiring professor Kirk Kelley, PhD, students spent hours dissecting human donors and refining the technical precision required in advanced biology and medical settings.
“It was a really eye-opening moment,” Holubar said. “I think that’s when my passion grew deeper.”
The course challenged her in ways she hadn’t experienced before, forcing her to move beyond memorization and develop the detailed anatomical understanding required for veterinary medicine.
“It is a completely different battle in there when you’re learning how to use a scalpel and learning about what you’re looking for,” she said.
By the end of the experience, Holubar said she felt far more confident in both her technical abilities and scientific knowledge heading into veterinary school.
“I just feel so qualified in my knowledge of the human body and identifying anatomical structures and physiology,” she said.
Preparing for veterinary school
Applying to veterinary school quickly became one of the most demanding parts of Holubar’s college experience. Between essays, recommendation letters, clinical hours, and supplemental applications, the process stretched across nearly an entire year.
“You spend the whole summer writing on experiences you’ve had, classes you’ve taken, work experience, and community service,” she said.
Outside the classroom, she continued building experience at a pet hospital in her hometown, where she worked alongside veterinarians and gained exposure to surgeries and animal care.
“Working under a team of eight veterinarians there, it has shown me a lot,” she said.
At the same time, she remained heavily focused on academics, knowing strong grades would be essential in such a competitive field. Holubar credits the biology department with helping her stay motivated throughout the process.
“They genuinely want the best for each student,” Holubar said. “Feeling that type of encouragement and support from them only made me want to do better academically.”
That hard work paid off this spring when she was accepted into Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine – the school she had dreamed of attending since childhood.
After months of waiting for a decision, Holubar stepped away from her phone and went on a walk the evening the results were scheduled to be released. But eventually, curiosity won out.
“I read the first congratulations sentence, and the tears just started flowing,” she said. “It was such a magical moment.”
For Holubar, the moment represented years of hard work and sacrifice finally coming together.
“To have all of that perseverance and all those dreams encompassed in one acceptance email, I just don’t even have any words,” she said.
Ready for what comes next
As she prepares to begin veterinary school this fall, Holubar says one of the biggest changes over the last four years has been her confidence in herself as a student.
Coming out of high school, she wasn’t entirely sure what to expect academically, and her first biology courses quickly challenged her in ways she hadn’t experienced before.
“My biology courses were a great reality check,” she said. “This is what college academics is.”
But those challenges ultimately helped her develop the study habits and discipline that she’ll carry into graduate school.
“I’ve really started to prioritize academics and my veterinary major over the course of the four years,” she said.
Now, even with the uncertainty that comes with starting somewhere new again, she feels ready for what’s next.
“If the next four years of my life turn out how my years at Ambrose have, I’ll be just fine,” she said.
As she heads to Iowa State this fall, Holubar is taking with her far more than acceptance into a competitive veterinary program. She leaves St. Ambrose with years of mentorship, experience, and the confidence that the little girl reading to barn cats really did find the path she was meant to follow.
Interested in studying biology? Explore the St. Ambrose University biology program and discover faculty mentorship and experiences that prepare students for graduate school and beyond.
