At the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS), we often talk about building a future where animals are no longer used in science. That future does not begin in laboratories or policy rooms. It begins with people. Increasingly, it begins on college campuses.
At Loyola University Chicago, one student turned compassion into action. With guidance from NAVS Science Advisor Dr. Pam Osenkowski, she created something that is already making a difference.
Siya Patel, founder and president of PAWS: People for Animal Welfare and Support, saw both a need and an opportunity. As a volunteer at a local shelter and a committed animal advocate, she recognized that her campus lacked a space for students to come together around animal welfare. She decided to build one.
What began as a last-minute application quickly grew into a fully realized organization. PAWS now has leadership, funding, and a full calendar of events. The group brings students together through donation drives, educational programming, and partnerships with other campus organizations. These efforts create immediate impact for animals while building long-term awareness among future leaders.
This kind of momentum does not happen on its own.
With support from NAVS, including mentorship and connection to a broader mission, PAWS launched with purpose and direction. That support helped turn one student’s idea into a sustainable and growing community of advocates.
This story reflects something larger. The next generation is engaging with animal issues in new ways.
Students like Siya are not waiting to be invited into the conversation. They are creating it. They are organizing, educating, and challenging the status quo. They are doing this in ways that align with NAVS’ vision of advancing more ethical and more effective scientific approaches.
As Siya prepares to graduate, her focus is on continuity. She is recruiting and mentoring new leaders so PAWS remains active for years to come. That kind of sustained effort is what drives real change.
Stories like this show what support makes possible. When you support NAVS, you are advancing humane science today and helping cultivate the advocates who will carry this work forward.
On campuses like Loyola, that future is already taking shape.
