Before donning scrubs at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Isabelle “Bella” DiDio was already performing—whether on stage in over 75 musicals or behind the scenes at 3AM, milking 100 dairy cows as part of the University of Vermont’s elite CREAM program. While most students were still sleeping, she was learning the gritty, real-world lessons that would shape her path in vet med. “I don’t have to get up at 6AM—I get to,” she says with a smile, echoing the advice from her beloved undergrad professor, Dr. Wadsworth, who taught her to lead with gratitude.