When Jett Legault arrived at UC Berkeley in 2022, he knew he wanted to study biology. He didn’t know he wanted to be a veterinarian.
That came at the end of his first year, when he boarded a BART train to Oakland Animal Services (OAS) for a volunteer shift, looking up the normal heart rate for a cat on his phone because he had no background to draw on. Three years later, the Brentwood native is graduating with degrees in molecular environmental biology and integrative biology and preparing to apply for veterinary school. His focus: shelter medicine, a field he committed to after realizing he wanted to be the one advocating for the animal in the room.
"Sure, you're more constrained by resources when you're in a shelter, and sometimes there's genuinely nothing you can do," Legault said. "But a lot of the time, you get to make decisions that prioritize the animal’s health."
On Sunday, Legault will address his classmates, family, and the Rausser College community from the stage at the Greek Theatre as the College’s 2026 student commencement speaker. Rausser College spoke to Legault ahead of his speech about his time at Berkeley, his work at OAS, and what’s next.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Why did you choose UC Berkeley?
I grew up in Brentwood, which is an East Bay suburb, and I always felt like the circles there were small. While I was fortunate to build community there—my friends and parents were super supportive of me—high school was not the best environment, and I felt very isolated at times. I’m grateful that my AP Biology teacher, Mrs. Perry, saw something in me and helped bolster my love of biology even though I wasn’t giving my best. I was admitted as a molecular environmental biology major in Rausser College, and even though I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do once I got here, I was glad that Berkeley felt like a bigger community and a more inclusive place.
Where did you find community?
I’m currently president of the Wildlife Society and Pre-Vet Club, and work as a Peer Advising Leader (PAL) within the College. Making time for it all is definitely a challenge, but it’s also been one of the most rewarding parts of college.
Legault with the Wildlife Society banner.
Right now, Wednesdays are my busiest day of the week. I’m completely drained by the end of it, but when I walk into a Wildlife Society meeting, I feel myself relax. It’s a group of friends who all want to talk about animals, and everyone has their own niche—on a hike, one person is identifying birds while someone else is identifying mushrooms. We’re not competitive about membership, either, which surprises some first-year students. If you’re enthusiastic about wildlife, we want to make space for you.
I joined the Pre-Vet Club sometime in 2024. Truthfully, I didn’t join earlier because someone had warned me it might be too academic. I worried it might be like high school, where everyone knew each other’s GPA. It turned out to be the opposite: they’re some of the nicest people I’ve met at Berkeley. At my first meeting, the club president recognized me as a new face, approached me, and introduced herself. I’ve always loved advising—before coming to Cal, I made probably 20 different four-year plans for myself and my friends—so I immediately joined their officer board when the academic advisor position opened up.
Working as a PAL has been especially rewarding this spring, with incoming students coming to me and asking about Cal. I get to tell them about the opportunities here and watch their eyes light up. It feels like a full-circle moment, because I remember how excited I was when I got in. The week that admissions decisions came out, I was so stressed I literally got sick. I wanted to be here that badly. Now I get to be the friendly face on the other side of that.
How did OAS become such a big part of your experience?
Legault checks on a pig at Oakland Animal Services.
I’ve always loved animals—I got my first cat, Jax, when I was five, but I had no idea that veterinary medicine would become my passion. Sometime near the end of my first year, I looked up animal shelters near me, found OAS, and rode BART to their shelter. I had no clinical experience and was so nervous to volunteer that I was reading up on normal cat heart rates on the way over. Once I got there, I was immediately pulled into the surgery room and taught how to monitor animals coming out of anesthesia.
I was one of maybe five consistent volunteers when I first started. People don’t tend to stick around for long since it’s unpaid. Once I joined the Pre-Vet Club’s officer board, I realized that our members needed clinical experience, and OAS needed volunteers. I started recruiting and training people from the club, and I think I’ve brought in close to 50 volunteers. The shift schedule is full now, which is huge—OAS sees about 9,000 animals a year with one vet on staff, so volunteer support genuinely changes what’s possible there.
Why shelter medicine?
I tried wildlife medicine one summer by interning with the Lindsay Wildlife Experience’s rehabilitation program. Handling the raptors was incredible—every time I opened a cage, I felt like I was going into fight-or-flight mode to get the bird secured. I also shadowed a general practice veterinarian for about a month to see if that was for me. I remember a couple bringing in a 21-year-old cat (I was 20 at the time) to be humanely euthanized. The owners said they’d planned to do it earlier, but couldn't bear to say goodbye. It had health problems and had clearly been in pain. I told myself I never wanted to meet a cat older than me again.
That experience fully committed me to practicing in shelters. Sure, you’re more constrained by resources, and sometimes there’s genuinely nothing you can do. But a lot of the time, you get to make decisions that prioritize the animal’s health. It doesn’t matter what people want or can afford. In the shelter, you’re able to stand up for a lot of animals that otherwise wouldn’t have anyone. I want to be the person advocating for them.
What classes stood out from your time at Berkeley?
I was admitted to Rausser College as a molecular environmental biology major, but I kept signing up for field classes in integrative biology. I love being outside, and the field classes in IB give you that built-in time outdoors.
Ecosystems of California (IB 157), taught by Professor Paul Fine, was one of my favorites. We went on field trips every week and even spent a week camping on the Channel Islands National Park. Learning that much about plant communities was totally new to me. I also really enjoyed Mammalogy (IB 173), taught by Professor Michael Nachman. I took it as a junior and have been using it as president of the Wildlife Society. I can usually point out what mammal we’re looking at because of that course.
Is that how you wound up working in his lab?
Yeah. He put out an ad for a research technician to the class. I applied for it and was lucky to get it. A lot of people know the classic natural selection example: mice on light rocks select to be light-colored to avoid predators, while mice on dark rocks select to be dark. Nachman was the one who did that research. Most of my job as a research technician involves managing the colonies and caring for the mice. That usually means making sure the colonies progress through breeding them and weaning the pups from the parents when they get old enough.
Legault (center) and friends on the steps of the Valley Life Sciences Building.
Are there mentors or peers who made a lasting impression on you?
My friend Ximena, who joined the Wildlife Society officer board in fall 2024, is one of my biggest role models—even though she’s a year younger than me. We had a quantitative methods in biology class together in spring 2025, and every day after class we would go to Local X Design cafe in Wurster Hall to get lunch and study. She’s the hardest-working person I’ve ever met, and what’s striking is that she’s also genuinely curious about everything she studies. When you're taking a heavy course load, it’s easy to disconnect and just grind through the work. She doesn’t do that. She stays interested, and she encouraged me to do the same.
What will you miss most about Berkeley?
I toured UC Davis and UC San Diego recently, and they’re huge. Berkeley feels intimate by comparison. My friends and I share our locations, so I’ll glance at my phone, see someone is right there, and go meet them. Community is just very accessible here. There’s something for everyone, and someone for everyone.
What’s next after graduation?
I’m in the process of getting hired full-time at OAS, which is how I’ll be spending my gap year. Right now I’m running our community spay-neuter clinics on weekends—coordinating volunteers, ordering surgeries, and prepping animals with the vet techs. The first couple were challenging, but I’m getting the hang of them. Once I’m full-time, I’ll be assisting the vets and techs more directly.
Vet school applications are due in September. I want to stay in California, so UC Davis is my top choice. Their program is incredible, and the surgical resources alone are unbelievable. They also have a strong shelter medicine program with some of the founders of the field on faculty. That’s what I’m there for.