Dr. Strickland graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in 2009 and received her B.A. in Medical Humanities from Baylor University in 2013. She graduated from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2021 and is a member of AVMA, NCVMA, and is completing her fear-free certification.

Dr. Strickland officially decided to become a veterinarian in her senior year of college. She was following a pre-medical track with aspirations of attending medical school, when a conversation with a professor (who was a primary care physician) made her realize that while her brain was in medicine; her heart belonged to animals as a self-proclaimed crazy cat lady and regular volunteer at the humane society. Prior to starting veterinary school, she worked as a veterinary assistant at a small animal practice in Carrboro. She shared her most memorable case was helping to unblock her own cat, Franklin, who had a urethral obstruction. The experience forever endeared blocked cats to her and made her more empathetic to owners experiencing emergency cases for their pets.

Dr. Strickland lives with her fiancé Matt who is pursuing his PhD in Environmental Toxicology at NCSU. In her free time, Dr. Strickland is an avid reader with a never-ending “to read” list, and she loves cooking and knitting.  Her most favorite thing to do is to spoil her fur children, 8 year old litter mate tuxedo kitties Franklin and Teddy and a Thoroughbred Horse named Gabe.