Where Are They Now?:
Dr. Sue Bartz

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by Dan Mihalik

It’s intriguing how one decision 30 years ago could have such an enormous impact on someone’s life.

But it seems that’s the case for Dr. Sue Bartz. When searching for colleges, the diehard animal lover refused to attend a school without a veterinary school. She knew she wanted to become a professional, not on the hardwood, but as a veterinarian.

And she remembers wanting to be a vet ever since she was a child growing up in Green Bay, Wis.

“My dad is from a dairy farm, so my first experiences with animals came from being in that farm environment,” she said. “Going out to the barn and being around the cattle, the kittens and the dogs is where that passion came from.”

After averaging more than 28 points and 15 rebounds as a high school senior, not to mention finishing fourth in a class of more than 300, Bartz figured some schools would be willing to offer her grant money for her services. Out of all the schools she was looking at, only Purdue responded.

Bartz returned the favor by averaging nearly 10 points and seven rebounds a game during her career for the Boilermaker women’s basketball program, which was in its fourth year of existence when Bartz arrived in 1978.

When she left in 1982, she left confident that the program was better than when she arrived. She also left with an opportunity to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian.

After receiving her undergraduate degree from Purdue, Bartz has served in several practices. For the past 17 years, she has been practicing veterinary medicine in the Indianapolis area. In 2001, Bartz opened her own facility, where she primarily serves clients with dogs and cats. After struggling to find clients when she first opened, Bartz said her practice treats more than 2,300 animals.

And as she prepares to celebrate her sixth anniversary in her very own practice, Bartz is grateful to the University that gave her a chance not only to play basketball, but more importantly, gave her a chance to achieve her dream.

“It’s fun to be able to see it go from nothing to something and I’m very proud of the way we serve our clients,” she said. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s very rewarding.”

As a loyal John Purdue Club member, Bartz was rewarded for her generosity to Purdue Intercollegiate Athletic at this year’s John Purdue Club Weekend. Bartz was given the Black Coat Award, a way to say thank you for everything she has done as an alumni and as a former student-athlete.

But she’s thankful for the opportunity Purdue gave her when she was searching for a school that allowed her to play basketball, but also prepared her for her dream job of becoming a veterinarian.

“I knew what I wanted to be as a professional and it wasn’t a basketball player,” she said. “I’m lucky enough after 20 years of practicing that I still love what I do. I hope everybody can be lucky enough to say that.

 “We’ve got some people that I’m very proud to say that not only did I have the opportunity to play basketball with them, but they are still my friends.”