Natalie Hurst is a “foodie.”
So much so, that she and her best friend, Samantha Kaonis, developed a 30-recipe cookbook highlighting their undergraduate experience living together at Washington State University.
Natalie even plans her vacations around food. Of course, she enjoys cooking, too, especially when there is a difficult recipe, glass of champagne, and some 70s music involved. Her favorite dishes to cook are yellow Thai curry and butternut squash gnocchi.
After graduation, Natalie plans to work at a Goldendale Veterinary Clinic, a mixed animal practice back home in Goldendale, Washington, just up the road from the Columbia River.
“I love science and working with people. Helping people with their livelihood or the pets they love is extremely rewarding,” she said. “Additionally, I love the science behind medicine. Originally, I wanted to go into a career in research or pathology, but I might have missed the interaction with clients.”
Back home, Natalie enjoys helping her parents on the family beef cattle ranch, wine tasting and visiting breweries, kayaking, and hiking.
“Basically, I just try to take advantage of living in the Pacific Northwest as much as possible,” she said.
Natalie is excited about hanging with her two very active border collie mixes, Kiwi, 3, and Rainer, 11 months.
“Kiwi is the reason I’ve made it through vet school,” she said. “Rainier is looking like a promising working cattle dog, but I enjoy having him in the house and with me too much to really let my dad take him on.”
After receiving two degrees and spending seven years in Pullman, Natalie said she will miss the Palouse, but she will always be a Coug, which is her favorite part about WSU.
“I love that I can be in an airport on the East Coast and someone will ‘Go Cougs’ you if you are wearing WSU gear,” she said. “WSU is just a huge extended community and it isn’t quite like anywhere else.”