Three Virginia Tech graduates embodied their alma mater’s motto — Ut Prosim, That I May Serve — by volunteering their veterinary services to help Aloka, the beloved canine companion of the Walk for Peace, cross the finish line.
Aloka suffered a torn ligament in his right knee during the walk. Veterinarians Dr. Erin O’Leary, Dr. Tosha Starke, and veterinary surgeon Dr. Patti Sura each volunteered their services independently — only discovering their shared Virginia Tech connection after treatment was already underway.
A mission that moved them
The Walk for Peace made international headlines this year as a group of monks dedicated their lives to a journey aimed at bringing people together. For the three vets, it was more than a news story.
“I just kind of was enthralled with the whole mission — just that people would dedicate their lives to just walking for peace, to bring people together,” Starke said. “But of course, when there’s a dog involved, as a veterinarian, it’s hard not to get involved.”
O’Leary described Aloka’s role in the broader mission as a natural extension of the human-animal bond.
“This whole Walk for Peace and Aloka is such a wonderful embodiment of the human animal bond,” O’Leary said. “It’s so neat to just get to be a little part of that.”
Hokies find each other
The three veterinarians did not initially know they shared a Virginia Tech connection. Word spread through their professional network after each had already stepped in to help.
“People just started saying, ‘Hey, did you know there’s other Virginia Tech grads that have been helping Aloka?’” Starke said.
For Sura, the revelation came as no surprise — but it still carried meaning.
“Was it a surprise or a shock to know that other Hokies were involved? Absolutely not. But it still gives you a lot of pride,” Sura said.
O’Leary and Starke were classmates at Virginia Tech, adding another layer to the coincidence.
“When I saw Tosha had treated him up in Virginia, I thought, ‘Oh, this is really neat — we have a lot of little connections there with Virginia Tech,’” O’Leary said.
More than a patient
For each of the three veterinarians, treating Aloka became more than a routine case. Starke said the experience helped restore her sense of purpose in a demanding profession.
“Veterinary medicine is a profession that can sometimes be unforgiving as far as the emotional toll it takes,” Starke said. “Being able to treat Aloka really just recentered me and refocused me in life. It’s not what I gave to them to help with Aloka — I feel like it’s what they gave me.”
Sura said the memory will stay with her long after Aloka’s recovery.
“This is going to be a long-standing, core memory for me for sure,” she said.
O’Leary said she hopes the movement continues.
“I hope that the whole movement just in general keeps going, because it was a very inspirational thing. And I think Aloka 100% just added so much to that,” she said.
Aloka back home and recovering
Aloka is currently healthy and back home in Fort Worth with the venerable monks. Dr. Sura is scheduled to visit soon to check on his recovery.