AACP has selected five underrepresented minority (URM) pharmacy students as recipients of the 2022 CVS Health Minority Scholarship for Pharmacy Students recognizing their leadership, academic success, and commitment to advancing the profession of pharmacy and patient care. Each awardee will receive a single $8,000 scholarship.
The goal of the scholarship program is to support the financial need of URM students who are entering into or recently enrolled in Pharm.D. programs at AACP member institutions—reducing the financial barriers and challenges for URM students who are pursuing a Pharm.D. degree.
"We are delighted to partner with CVS Health again this year to recognize and support a new cohort of well-deserving student pharmacists who embody the values of diversity and excellence,” said AACP Executive Vice President and CEO Lee Vermeulen, B.S.Pharm., M.S., FCCP, FFIP.
“This prestigious program reflects the mutual commitment that CVS Health and AACP have made to promoting a diverse workforce who can provide quality care to patients in communities that are too often underserved and suffer health disparities.”
"As the leading health solutions company, we are proud to serve millions of people from diverse backgrounds and cultures across the country," said Prem Shah, Executive Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer, CVS Health and Co-President, CVS Pharmacy.
"Our pharmacists represent the diversity of those patients and understand their lives and experiences. In fact, pharmacists are considered to be among the most accessible and trusted health care professionals because of their closeness to their communities. Through our work with the AACP, we are proud to support pharmacy students from diverse communities, advancing the profession now and in the future."
URM pharmacy students are identified as black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and/or Pacific Islander students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
The 2022 CVS Health Minority Scholarship Recipients are:
Sochima Oriaku
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
"The CVS Health Minority scholarship will help me financially throughout my tenure in pharmacy school but will also help me achieve my career goal of working as a community pharmacist.
…Through immunization clinics, promoting medication adherence and safety, and advocating for more representation of the underrepresented in healthcare, my vision of changing the trajectory of healthcare in underserved communities will continue to move in a positive direction."
Joanne Stephens
Creighton University
"I am eager and determined to become a pharmacist. For me, becoming a pharmacist is about giving back and improving the healthcare conditions of the elderly low socioeconomic population. I want to work as part of the healthcare team and with patients to assist them in eliminating barriers to medication adherence.
The CVS Health Minority scholarship will strengthen the path to this goal and eliminate part of the financial burden."
Jordan Louis
Howard University
"This scholarship will help to lessen the financial burdens of pharmacy school by allowing me to equip adequate tools and resources to assist my learning experience with comfort during my P2 year. It will also help me to attend conferences, therefore expanding my opportunities of networking with pharmacists and other pharmacy students.
…All of which will contribute to my personal and professional development, helping me to better serve patients in ambulatory care settings — patients who look like me."
Celeste Noelle Bustria
University of California, San Francisco
"As I embark on my pharmacy career, I remind myself of my experiences as a minority student and use them to inform how I approach challenges and health innovations. The financial support of CVS Health increases my accessibility to a high-quality education such that I can provide high-quality care.
I am eager to represent the CVS Health Minority Scholarship program throughout my career, as I work towards relieving health disparities and promoting health equity."
Gislia Negrete
Pacific University Oregon
“As a first-generation Hispanic student, this will lift a financial burden for my family and me. This scholarship will help me achieve my career goals by assisting me with tuition, books, study guides, and funds for conferences that I plan to present at.
I will be able to continue focusing on my education, roles in organizations, and community service. All of this will allow me to be the pharmacist I have been working up to be. The type that leads with compassion and helps the underserved and more."
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