The Ontario Veterinary College’s Marketing and Communications team is profiling its newest team member, Graduate Programs Ambassador, Emily Kesteloot. In June, she’ll cross the stage at U of G convocation, graduating from OVC’s Master of Public Health program. Her studies centered on health communication and health promotion, two areas of interest that’s she’s putting into practice in her current role, including highlighting graduate students’ diverse academic and personal journeys for the 2026 OVC Convocation Series.
Before coming to OVC, Kesteloot completed a Bachelor of Science with an Honours Specialization in Genetics at Western University in 2023. Throughout her undergraduate degree, she became heavily involved with student mental health services on campus. These experiences resulted in her becoming Associate Vice President of the University Students’ Council Peer Support service, a role in which she directed the Peer Support Centre, on-campus food bank and student health promotion service. This experience sparked her passion for community mental health, and ultimately informed her decision to pursue a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree.
Much of Kesteloot’s MPH experience focused on communicating health information to diverse audiences in clear, accessible and meaningful formats. During her practicum with Outdoor Play Canada, she supported the launch of their Active Outdoor Play 10 Year Anniversary project, a major knowledge translation and mobilization campaign. She translated this experience into her research with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), a project that focused on refreshing public facing health communications materials on Salmonella, an enteric pathogen that is one of the leading causes of foodborne illness in Canada.
Another highlight of the MPH program was the Public Health Forum, where MPH students present their practicum experiences through a long-form speech, and a two-minute poster presentation. Kesteloot placed first in the Forum competition, receiving the Dr. Robert Clarke Public Health Prize, an OVC Alumni Association award.
Reflecting on her time at OVC, Kesteloot describes the MPH program as “the most educationally and professionally rich experience I’ve ever had the pleasure of being a part of.” She credits the program’s practicum component as a key learning opportunity, helping students build confidence before entering professional public health roles.
One lesson she will carry forward long after her time in the MPH program is the importance of remaining open-minded and embracing every opportunity. Recalling her mindset before starting the program, Kesteloot felt nervous about some of the required course material, such as epidemiology – thinking her marks would suffer and wishing she could find a way around having to take the course altogether. Despite her initial apprehension, epidemiology ended up being one of her favourite courses, and her highest mark in the program. “That experience reminded me not to write off opportunities based on preconceived notions, and not to limit myself with fear,” she says.
Outside of her MPH studies, Kesteloot spends much of her free time exercising, exploring the outdoors on her solo travels across Canada or testing out fun new gluten-free recipes.
Kesteloot says her full-time role on OVC’s Marketing and Communications team would make her 8-year-old self – who dreamed of studying here to become a veterinarian – proud. Discovering her passion for academia, Kesteloot hopes to contribute professionally to the U of G community for many years to come.
