Dr. Georgina Sánchez Méndez Pharmacology Scholars

At Hampton University, College of Pharmacy graduate student Shanelle Covington is often found serving those who have less through multiple efforts, past and present. She joined Sister2Sister, a service-based organization, focusing her time on helping minority communities in Michigan; she started an Academic Games Team “at a middle school in Detroit; and, she most recently advised undergraduate and graduate female students at ther university’s residence hall tutoring those “struggling with their science courses. Shanelle is also recently “the newly elected HIV/AIDS Awareness chair for the Hampton University chapeter of the American Pharmacist Association.” Beyond her graduation from the College of Pharmacy is expected to be in May, 2018, Shanelle plans “to work at a community pharmacy in an underserved city” where she is professional and properly equipped as a servant leader “to help people with their medical needs, specifically those in communities like mine that lack resources needed to live healthy lives.” Equally important, she hopes as a servant leader “to inspire other young women with similar backgrounds and prove that anything is possible with hard work and determination.” Ms. Covington is a Dr. Georgina Sánchez Méndez Pharmacology Scholars.

With an expected graduation date of 2017, Ohio Northern University Pharmacy Doctorate-candidate Joelle Farano knows that “the knowledge and experience I gain as a student will prepare me for a truly fulfilling career in pharmacy.” Joelle is multi-talented in academics concurrently pursuing her major program of a Doctorate in Pharmacy and her minor program in Dance and Theater Arts. While successfully completing her first year in the Pharmacy program, Joelle was also awarded 2012’s Northern Stars Dance Team Dancer of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors. Most recently, Joelle updates us that she wants to share with Mendez Scholarships Non-Profit some exciting news: “I got a rotation at the Food and Drug Administration Office of Scientific Investigation in June and a rotation at the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention in March 2017. I am looking forward to learning on how I can serve broad populations and more about Public Health.” Ms. Farano is a Dr. Georgina Sánchez Méndez Pharmacology Scholars.

Joanna Bodnar is a Pharmacy major at Midwestern University with an expected graduation date of May 2015. Equally important, is that Joanna’s developing her skills as a pharmacist “by being involved in community health screenings” as well as “the clinical aspects of community pharmacy.” This hands-on approach to field work in her chosen career-path is offering Joanna an abundance of servant leadership opportunities on and off-campus. Joanna relates that “diabetic care is especially important to me” due to a sibling’s diagnosis with type 1 diabetes. Most important, Joanna is actively serving others as a determined participant “in diabetic screening volunteer opportunities and local conferences.” Her present-day servant leader pro-activeness is solid evidence of strong potential in the next five (5) years to achieve her long-term twenty-five (25) years career goal as “a leader in the field of diabetic medicine and care.” Ms. bodnar is a Dr. Georgina Sánchez Méndez Pharmacology Scholars.

“Being one of the older students starting pharmacy school, I entered with specific goals in mind,” is how Roseman University of Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy dual major Henry Kim describes his present humble self-assessment regarding his long-term professional career goal to “work in a clinical setting in a hospital or pharmaceutical company.” Henry anticipates graduating with his Pharmacy Doctorate and Masters of Business Administration come June 2014. In the interim, he truly enjoys working closely with other health care professionals and learning as well as teaching others through his active participation in several academic organizations like The American College of Clinical Pharmacists Student Network (ACCPSN) of which he is President-elect. Henry also finds it a tremendously rewarding experience to compete in various university-related competitions. As he focuses the coming semesters before graduation, Henry feels blessed to be a servant leader. Mr. Kim is a Dr. Georgina Sánchez Méndez Pharmacology Scholars.

May 2012 University of Connecticut (UConn) Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy Studies graduate Katelyn O’Brien credits her growth as a servant leader in part for her recent academic achievements. Katelyn serves as the current President of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) “which promotes diversity and aims to serve the under-served populations.” By holding multiple active E-board positions, she has learned to work in a team, to delegate projects, and to truly appreciate different cultures within the school of pharmacy and the surrounding community. Equally important, Katelyn was recognized in 2011 for her leadership achievements by being nominated for Phi Lambda Sigma, also known as the Pharmacy Leadership Society. In November 2012, she was awarded with the Eastern CT AHEC (Area Health Education Center) Excellence Award. The award is given students in eastern Connecticut that devote their time to service of under-served populations as she has with the Willimantic Soup Kitchen. Katelyn’s two (2) year goal is to complete the Pharmacy Doctorate (PharmD) program in 2014, her five (5) year goal aspires to become an ambulatory care pharmacist after her residency training, and and her ten (10) year goal is that she would like to continue growing and maturing in servant leadership roles and advocating for her profession. Ms. O’Brien is a Dr. Georgina Sánchez Méndez Pharmacology Scholars.

For Rabin Ebrahimi, “becoming a pharmacist for many years was a dream for me” and that dream is present-day reality as he has overcome many testing years of living in hardship since immigrating to the U.S. The test has led him closer to making him aware of why he wants to become a pharmacist and contribute to our society as much as he can. As a result, Rabin just proudly graduated as a Doctor of Pharmacy from the Western University of Health and Sciences in Los Angeles, California. This rewarding academic goal follows his prior achievement of earning of a Bachelor of Science in BioTechnology from California State University Northridge. For the next ten (10) years, he is entirely focused on his long-term career goal to become an education pharmacist while actively being involved in cancer-related research as he has been in the past. Rabin firmly believes that “disadvantaged students who seek higher education are more likely to go back and serve their communities.” This belief motivates Rabin to servant leadership and joyfully contributing his share to our society. Rabin envisions himself in the next fifteen (15) years being actively involved as an educational pharmacist to educating those individuals who make up the next generation of health care professionals.

Dhvani Doshi firmly believes “pharmacy is a humanitarian-based science” and accordingly enjoy her academic and scholastic achievements as she earns her Pharmacy Doctorate at Roseman University of Health Sciences. It brings her greater joy to serve as she does “volunteering with a “special-assistant student” also pursuing their Pharmacy Doctorate. Dhavni balances her academic workload while also “working diligently at a local pharmacy as a Techinician for about two years before starting pharmacy school.” She serves on-campus by “teaching Pharacotherapeutics for two hours every week to others. Dhvani “enjoys being in their lives and [hopes] my contributions have made a profounf difference in their lives.”

Bunni Newbold is a Doctor of Pharmacy candidate at Campbell University with an expected graduation date of May 2015. Bunni is pursuing a clinical practitioner track ‘that initiates positive patient interactions and gets patients involved in their therapeutic regimens.” Aside from being very committed to her long-term pharmacy career, Bunni feels blessed to be the first in her family to earn and undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree at Barton College, but also that she will become the first doctor upon graduation and the passing of her state’s board exams. Equally important to her long-term career goals in the next twenty-five (25) years is to continue her servant leadership role in interacting with people of all different walks of life so as to enable her to “build rapport and trust among my patients.” Bunni values commitment, perseverance, and integrity in both her family and professional life. Most recently, Bunni’s academic performance so far has qualified her to join the Pharmacy Honor Society Rho Chi.

Jon Blazawski graduated from the University of Connecticut’s Bachelor of Science Pharmacy (UConn) program May 2012. Jon’s extra-curricular activities focus on collaboration and communication to support and develop servant leadership opportunities through community services programs including Poison Prevention Week and Alcohol Awareness Week that minister to those who have less. As a pharmacist, his goal for the next three (3) years, is to obtain a long-term position as a Pharmacy resident at an inpatient hospital where Jon will meet ongoing professional challenges and find intellectual stimulation going forward in the next fifteen (15) years.

“Earning my bachelor’s in Pharmacy Studies and subsequently my Doctorate of Pharmacy” is how Janki Shah succinctly describes her present academic long-term goals as she volunteers in the pharmacy of Manchester Memorial Hospital in Connecticut while earning her aforementioned undergraduate degree at the University of Connecticut’s School of Pharmacy (UConn). Janki expects to earn that Doctorate degree in May 2014. After graduation and licensure, she looks forward in the next five (5) years to working with other health care professionals that have a diverse background like herself which means that “everyone brings something unique to the table.” As a measure of her servant leadership efforts, Janki firmly believes that when she is concentrating efficiently on her studies that has a direct correlation to her ability and freedom to give back to her community as a servant leader in her chosen health care profession where she presently is employed part time at Manchester Memorial Hospital.

University of New Mexico (UNM) Doctor of Pharmacy-candidate Shannon Atencio looks to her past as a “source of motivation to work hard and pursue [her] dreams” knowing that her “life story serves as proof that one can overcome adversity and succeed!” On track to graduate May of 2015, Shannon stays focused at the university by participating in service-oriented extracurricular activities like recently being selected to represent UNM’s School of Pharmacy at the 2012 University of Utah’s Drug and Alcohol Dependency Conference. The first in her family to attend college, Shannon finds that her upbringing teaches her valuable lessons that are directly applicable on her academic journey of accomplishing her goal of becoming a licensed pharmacist. Shannon firmly believes “that the only way to achieve your long-term servant leader goals is to write them down.” She actively charts her future long-term servant leadership and professional aspirations: to establish in her own independent minority-owned community pharmacy serving the underprivileged Hispanic, and from the Torreon & Jemez Valley Reservation, Navajo populace of Northern New Mexico. Shannon has even charted the “twilight of my career” knowing that it would bring her great satisfaction and joy to turn over her community pharmacy-to-be to an ambitious like-minded pharmacist!

During his first year in the Pharmacy Doctorate program at Roseman University of Health Sciences, Bhargav Shah was required to deliver an academic presentation before an audience of one-hundred forty-five (145) colleagues and faculty members. The central component of this seven (7) team member oral presentation was discussing a complete monograph of a medicinal plant. As Bhargav recalls, “no team member was ready to present.” Considering that English is his second language, nonetheless, Bhargav received the complete “support of my team” and went on to deliver a successful presentation which he humbly admits has since then served as “a cornerstone to my leadership abilities.” With graduation fast approaching, Bhargav takes genuine comfort in using his long-term servant leadership skills since the “pharmacy profession is extremely rewarding, but what a pharmacist can give back to the community is going to define the health and well-being of the people.”

Summa Cum Laude Elizabeth Flatley is humble about her recent graduation as a Doctor of Pharmacy; and, equally humble about the recognition she merits for her “focused recruitment and recovery plans for others” on-campus, at the work-place, and in her extended community. She focuses her servant leadership skills on helping build other’s skills and in identifying those with special needs. Her commitment to serving others includes taking “new staff under her wing and mentoring others who demonstrate potential.” Elizabeth feels that throughout her life she was, and is, “privileged with the social support and individual determination to be successful in endeavors important to [me].” During her Pharmacy Studies years at the University of Connecticut, her endeavors included caring for, and helping, “those less fortunate” through outreach programs helping “children, prisoners, and veterans.” She minored in Spanish and received degree honors. Going forward in her future as a servant leader, Elizabeth is confident that she continues to be “able to make a difference in my career as a pharmacist.”

University of California at San Francisco Doctor of Pharmacy student Lydia Chen anticipates graduating from academics into a professional life where she remains “enthusiastic, passionate” about serving “those who have less.” To that end, Lydia has identified the people-groups she seeks to serve: the inner-city homeless. She volunteers at a metropolitan “free homeless clinic” and because a large segment of the population is Hispanic, Lydia has learned Spanish as a second language! She was “born in New Jersey, spent twelve (12) years in Taiwan, and returned to America to major in biology at Duke University. Her professional servant leadership goals are “to further understand the Latino culture and its health care system in order to provide better care to the growing Spanish-speaking population in America.”

Dadgar Yeganeh Pharm D. graduated from the College of Pharmacy at the University of Southern Nevada (USN) in June 2010. He immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 15 with a dream of pursuing a professional degree and career. Making the United States his new home, afforded him the long-term career opportunity of being able to research and choose the appropriate professional degree to pursue. The physician-to-patient compassion expected and required of a pharmacist led Dadgar to realize that he has the potential to be a caring and ethical pharmacist.

May 2015, marked Kristen Sterling’s graduation after having successfully earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree and; equally important, the conclusion of her rewarding graduate-student academic journey at the University of Saint Joseph. As one door closes another opens: Kristen begins her long-term career in the pharmacy profession she cherishes and she’s eagerly looking forward to the years to come of servant leadership. Kristen envisions herself in five years, “serving the less fortunate in a community pharmacy setting.” This commendable short-term goal will be the solid foundation for her longer-term goals as she envisions herself in fifteen years, “[owning] an independent pharmacy and deliver[ing] services to elderly patients who are unable to physically come to the pharmacy.” In fact, the seeds of Kristen’s servant leadership were planted before she began her active participation in the School of Pharmacy: she’s “organized and chaired a Food Drive”; actively volunteered “at Gifts of Love, anon-profit organization”; and implemented a mentor program as co-chair of a “Big Brother, Big Sister Program.” Without a doubt, as a servant leader Kristen reaches “others through our work.” Ms. Sterling is a Dr. Georgina Sánchez Méndez Pharmacology Scholars.

Nhi Tran serves in the work-place as a trainer with new interns at her local hospital’s pharmacy while successfully earning her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy Stduies at the University of Connecticut with an expected graduation date in 2014. She is “interested in underserved population” needs and is serving them by being “instrumental in developing topics” that provide answers through community “indigent program.” Nhi’s done a “teerific job in stepping out to help junior students” on-campus, as well. and is recognized for being “very dedicated to helping migrant farm workers” through her academic program’s initiatives. Nhi aspires to a lifetime of servant leadership in her profession and thanks God for the daily victories in her academic and professional life. Ms. Tran is a Dr. Georgina Sánchez Méndez Pharmacology Scholars.