SAVMA president envisions students working for students
By Christine Won
Kyle Jorel Frett, a fourth-year student at Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine and the newly installed 2025-26 Student AVMA (SAVMA) president, has a vision: students working for students.
That’s the campaign he ran on, and what he says will serve as his banner in office.
“We wouldn’t be who and what we are without the support of the students and the willingness to champion their voices,” Frett said in an interview with AVMA News. “My sole promise was to be the voice of all veterinary students, and everything I do in this role is done to accomplish and carry out that promise.”
Frett and the rest of the national SAVMA Executive Board were installed at the SAVMA Symposium held March 21–22 at the University of California-Davis.
Equine surgery
Frett grew up the eldest of seven children on the island of Tortola, British Virgin Islands. He’s had pets all his life, including two dogs now: a black Boykin Spaniel-Labrador Retriever mix named Duke along with a Chihuahua and Dachshund mix called “Pemmie” for Pembroke.
His family relocated to Fairburn, Georgia, after Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, and soon after Frett began pursuing a career as a veterinarian.
Then an opportunity to participate in a surgery to remove exuberant granulation tissue, or proud flesh, from the fetlock of a Dutch Warmblood opened his eyes to equine surgery. Frett was working as a large animal and equine student caretaker at the time at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia, when he noticed something unusual on the horse.
“The proud flesh on the fetlock started off very small and went unnoticeable until it grew the size of a lemon, which was when I noticed it,” he said. “I did not know at the time what it was, but I did know it looked uncomfortable and needed medical attention.”
Frett notified the attending clinician and assisted with the field surgery, which sparked his interest in becoming an equine surgeon.
“Veterinary medicine allows you to serve not just animals, but also the people who care for them, whether that’s a family with a beloved pet, a farmer ensuring the welfare of their livestock, or an athlete relying on their equine partner,” said Frett, who earned a bachelor’s in veterinary science and technology in 2022 at Fort Valley.
SAVMA career
Now on his way to graduate from Tuskegee’s veterinary college in 2026, Frett aims to become a double board-certified large animal and equine surgeon and sports medicine specialist with a focus on general surgery, orthopedic surgery, and neurosurgery.
His resume is already extensive, with numerous student externships and assistant experience, in addition to various volunteer and leadership positions.
Frett’s SAVMA career started his first year as a veterinary student at Tuskegee, when he became both the SAVMA chapter vice president at Tuskegee and a junior delegate in the SAVMA House of Delegates, where he also chaired the Education and Professional Development Committee (EPDC).
“Being the chairman of the EPDC, I have been afforded the privilege to facilitate the financial support to over 20,000 veterinary students promoting academic and professional development; something I hope to continue as president,” said the 23-year-old.
As SAVMA president, Frett has three goals for his term: to support financial aid and career development, including expanding mentorship programs; advance inclusion efforts; and prioritize veterinary students’ wellbeing.
That’s what veterinary students care about, he says: mental health, financial burden, job preparedness, and representation from diverse backgrounds.
“Ultimately, I want to be a veterinarian who leads with purpose, compassion, and vision—a professional who not only excels clinically but also serves as a voice for the future of veterinary medicine,” Frett said. “Whether in practice, advocacy, or leadership, my goal is to make a lasting impact, ensuring that this field continues to grow, evolve, and become more inclusive for all.”
A version of this story appears in the June 2025 print issue of JAVMA