Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. has named Brianna Beechler, a fourth-year veterinary student at Oregon State University, the winner of the 2007 Hill's Big Win Scholarship Challenge. The announcement came in June during the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum in Seattle.

Beechler will receive a scholarship for one year's tuition, up to a maximum of $25,000, to Oregon State. In addition, Oregon State's student chapter of the AVMA will receive $5,000 and the Hill's Big Win Challenge traveling trophy.

"Many of us are in the process of acquiring more student loans each year during veterinary school; however, receiving the Hill's Big Win scholarship is a great help because it will take care of paying for my last year of school," Beechler said.

To register for the challenge, veterinary students at each school or college attended a Hill's-sponsored Big Win meeting, and each selected one winner. Hill's provided the winners with an expense-paid trip to the ACVIM Forum. Then, online at www.HillsVet.com, students had the opportunity to cast votes for their own school. Oregon State received the most votes, resulting in Beechler's win.

"This is the second year for the Hill's Big Win, and it was great to see even more students go online and get involved," said Dr. Hein Meyer, director of Hill's academic affairs.