Dr. Brockman is excited to call Grand Rapids her new home! She is originally from Chicago but has traveled back and forth across the country for school and training. She originally went to school for chemistry and physics before transitioning careers to become a veterinarian. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Physics from Northern Michigan University and then a Master of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. While working at a veterinary clinic in Berkeley, California, Dr. Brockman decided to pursue her dream of becoming a veterinarian. She returned home to the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign where she completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

After veterinary school, Dr. Brockman pursued advanced training by completing a small animal internship at a 24-hour veterinary emergency and specialty center in the Chicago suburbs. She then practiced emergency medicine for several years at a busy veterinary emergency and specialty center in Milwaukee. Dr. Brockman is very excited to start her new veterinary adventure in Grand Rapids and become part of the Eastown community!

Outside of work, Dr. Brockman enjoys outdoor activities including hiking, biking (road, mountain, fat tire), camping, running (road and trail), and playing with her dog at the park. She has two cats that like to lay in the sun in her back yard and a Brazilian Rainbow Boa Constrictor at home.

Affiliations:

• American Veterinary Medical Association
• Michigan Veterinary Medical Association
• International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care
• Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement
• Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium

“I have always enjoyed the sciences and solving problems. Veterinary medicine gives me the opportunity to blend science and compassion by helping animals and people.”

After studying engineering at Purdue University for undergrad, she attended MSU (following in her father’s footsteps) and graduated in 2008 with her DVM. She has been practicing small animal medicine since.

Dr. Swayman started at EVC in February of 2020. She loves connecting with clients and helping ensure a long, happy life with their beloved pets. Meeting a new puppy or kitten with their new family and getting to follow that pet and their family as they grow and bond together through the years is priceless!

At home she has 1 dog, Rue who is a 6 year old Fox Terrier who she and her family adopted about 3 years ago. Rue is sweet and snuggly and likes to bark at anything that moves – in true terrier fashion!

Outside of work, she loves spending time with her 2 kids, Ella (11) and Ryan (9) and her husband, Keith. They play lots of games together, travel for soccer and flag football games and enjoy time at their family cottage in Northern Michigan. She is an avid reader, loves to run and hike, and is working on improving her French!

After graduation, I took a position at a large equine facility in Lexington, Kentucky as their Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technician; performing numerous MRIs on anesthetized equine (horse) patients. I loved being able to produce images that could explain to owners the cause of lameness in their equine (speaking from experience with lameness issues in my own horse). However, I missed my family, farm, and just plain Michigan; everything was calling me back. After returning to Michigan, I obtained a position with Eastown Veterinary Clinic. The moment I walked through the doors for my interview I knew this was the place I wanted and needed to be.

I currently live in Six Lakes on my farm with my eight feline friends (Tilly, Zerconi, Lil Dude, Nubbs, Battie, Tori, Dusty, and Tooger), one horse (Sweetie Pie), several chickens, ducks and a swan. ALL of them have a story to tell, especially my feline family who are all rescued.

Future aspirations include becoming specialized in dentistry and working in feline rescue. In my spare time, I like to garden, ride horses, tinker around with numerous artistic endeavors, and just hang with my friends and best friend (mom) around the farm doing the normal chores.

When I’m not at work you can find me spending time with my husband, our little girl and our fur children; Rookie, Nemo, and our purrty cat Callie. When I have a quiet moment to myself I enjoy reading, writing and indulging in Netflix marathons. My most recent hobby has been experimenting with cooking! I look forward to many more memories with my EVC team!

I grew up in North Muskegon surrounded by animals. Growing up my family had mostly small animals. We always had dogs and cats but at different points, we also had birds, mice, and even a little tree frog. I now have a small family of fur children that I love dearly. My boyfriend and I are parents to one extra fluffy kitty (Dewie), a diabetic Chihuahua (Poppy) a handsome red pit bull (Hank) and a little hedgehog (Desmond).

I am a bit of a home body. So when I am not working I am happiest when I am at home with my pets curled up on the couch. I have recently gotten into gardening. I find it very therapeutic to work on projects outside. Family is also very important to me. I also have perfected the art of the robot dance.

In high school, I began to explore veterinary career options and settled on becoming a technician in college as it allowed me to be very hands-on in the nurture and nursing of animals. I graduated from Baker College with a degree in Veterinary Technology 2009 and became licensed shortly thereafter. Following four years working at a vet practice on the lakeshore, I moved to Grand Rapids and began my adventure at Eastown Veterinary Clinic in July of 2014.

I love my position at Eastown. It is very rewarding to go to work every day knowing that I am impacting the lives of our adorable patients. Our team is like family. We have fun and work toward the same goals together. The quality of medicine that we deliver to every furry patient under skilled doctors is something I’m really proud of. I look forward to meeting you and your buddies!

I graduated in 2015 with my Associate’s degree in Business Administration and decided this winter that I wanted to go back to school. I am currently working towards my Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and will be starting at Grand Valley State University in the fall.

I always knew growing up that I wanted to work somewhere that I could be around animals every day. I started working in the veterinary field in 2015 as a veterinary assistant in a small veterinary hospital in Cedar Springs. Over the past years, I have been grateful for all of the experience and knowledge that I have gained and love applying that to my work here at Eastown Veterinary Clinic. I love interacting with all of the great clients and their amazing pets here at EVC. I look forward to seeing all the different dogs and cats each day that I come into work!

Hello, I’m Kenzie! Growing up, I was always extremely passionate about animals, leading me to pursue a Biology degree from Grand Valley State University. Throughout school, I did volunteer work with John Ball Zoo and other wildlife rehabilitation organizations as I decided what avenue I wanted to pursue further. Meanwhile, I worked as a makeup artist for the Estee Lauder company, Clinique, and started doing my own freelance makeup artistry, leading me down a different path for a while. I sometimes feel like I have lived many lives! I wanted to get back into an animal-related field and started working with Eastown Veterinary Clinic because I recognized not only the high standard of care but the true emphasis the staff place on continuing education to provide that gold standard. I have my own baby girl, Ripley Blue, a (currently) ten-month-old blue merle Australian Shepherd who is the love of my life! She is a true ‘velcro dog’ and we do everything together, especially cuddling in the mornings, road trips (including the 1468 miles we drove to get her!), running, and anything involving a ball. I am the stereotypical girl who always misses her puppy, so if you bring in your shepherd, I am probably the one who asks to come say hello! If I’m not working or with Miss Rip, I love to play sports and hang out with my family and friends.

I share my Eastown home with my husband, Mike. Until very recently our home was graced with the presence of a 17-year-old lab mix named Tekay. She, unfortunately, passed away in February 2013. After deciding we were not ready to get another dog (ha ha), we met a sweet 7-week old puppy named Eleanor in March of 2013. She was just what we needed and has been filling our life with joy (and non-stop activity) ever since!

Working for the Eastown Veterinary Clinic has been, and continues to be, a wonderful experience! The clientele here is amazing and I love all of my cat and dog clients! I intend to be here for many years to come.

The most rewarding part of veterinary medicine for me is using my additional training in physical rehabilitation and behavior modification. Helping pets and owners overcome physical or emotional barriers to live a healthy, happy life and strengthen the bond between them is something special that I feel very privileged to be a part of. In addition to seeing behavior and physical rehabilitation patients by appointment, I absolutely love to teach our Puppy Kindergarten and Adult Obedience classes, as well as private training sessions and Canine Good Citizen testing through the American Kennel Club. I also teach canine agility and physical fitness classes at a training center in the Grand Rapids area.

I spend some of my time on weekends helping out at the local emergency veterinary clinic, where I enjoy using my emergency and critical care nursing skills to help the ER docs save lives.

When I’m not working, I love volunteering with West Michigan Therapy Dogs and MSU’s Master Naturalist/Master Gardener programs. I spend as much time as possible with my husband, children, and extended Grand Rapids family. I share my life and home with two-pound puppies, Simone and Madigan, and a handi-“capable” Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Spanky. My family also includes three kitties, two birds, two rats, and a hedgehog. My husband recently made me sign an agreement not to adopt any more animals.