How did I end up at FAMU anyway? I’m just a “Haitian girl” from Miami. I always envisioned a future in healthcare, determined to be someone who gets things done—not just talks about it. While there are many avenues in healthcare, what specifically led me to pharmacy? Working as a pharmacy technician for three years opened my eyes to one of the largest flaws in our healthcare system: How numerous barriers can prevent patients from receiving proper treatment after leaving the doctor’s office. Whether it's the high cost of medications, shortages, insurance authorizations, transportation issues, or even errors made by prescribers, these factors can all hinder access to care. Pharmacists play a critical role in healthcare (just as much as physicians) but their expertise is often undervalued. I decided that I wanted to become a pharmacist who not only positively impacts my community but also changes the narrative surrounding the pharmacy profession. Upon earning my Doctorate in Pharmacy, I plan to establish a scholarship foundation dedicated to empowering future pharmacy students by alleviating financial barriers. Having faced significant financial challenges throughout my own academic journey, I understand firsthand how financial burdens can derail a student's aspirations. However, I firmly believe that resilience and a passion for change should not be hindered by economic hardships. Through this foundation, I aim to provide mentorship, encouragement, and financial assistance to deserving students who share my dedication to healthcare. Additionally, I plan to give back by serving as a preceptor, guiding pharmacy students, and equipping them with the clinical and professional skills necessary to thrive in the field. Supporting the next generation of pharmacists, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, is essential in fostering a more culturally competent and diverse healthcare system. As my career progresses, I aspire to open a community pharmacy with an in-house medical clinic in an underserved area. My vision is to create a healthcare facility and pharmacy that is fully staffed by minorities, providing a culturally tailored experience for a wide range of ethnic groups. Pharmacists are often the most accessible healthcare professionals, yet many communities, particularly those in minority-dominated areas, lack access to local pharmacies or healthcare providers. My ultimate goal is to bridge these gaps in healthcare, ensuring that individuals in these communities receive high-quality care. My legacy will be one of resilience, purpose, and service. Through my current work at FAMU, my future scholarship foundation, and my long-term vision for healthcare accessibility, I am committed to leaving a lasting impact on my university, the profession of pharmacy, and the communities that need it most.

I grew up in a family of immigrants who came to the United States in the 90s with nothing but the clothes on their backs and their children. My household consisted of both my parents, who when I was younger each worked two jobs. Since I was the youngest sibling of four, my older siblings would rotate the responsibility of looking after me since my parents were working. On most weekdays I didn't see my parents because by the time they got home from work, I was already sleeping to go to school the next day. I primarily only saw them on the weekends or during the summers when I was home more often. For most of my childhood, I could remember growing up poor and that followed me up until high school. Despite growing up poor, I never let anything get in between my schooling because I understood the value of education and how it could improve my situation. Regardless of whether I had food at home, or new shoes to go to school so the kids wouldn't bully me, or if my hair looked pretty, I always tried my best in my schoolwork and told myself it would pay off one day. Eventually, I got tired of being made fun of and I tried taking matters into my own hands when I reached freshman year of high school. I would sit on YouTube for hours learning different ways of doing my hair and eventually taught myself how to do box braids [with extensions]. By the age of 17, I had trained myself on how to do hair so well that people would ask me who did my hair. I then started my small side hustle in which I offered a variety of different braided hairstyles at an affordable rate. I established a solid client base from people at my school and later people from church. Even while starting to make money for myself, grades were still my priority. By the end of my senior year, I graduated class valedictorian and secured several scholarships to Florida International University, where I later completed my bachelor's degree [and graduated early]. I believe that my ability to self-motivate myself and keep my faith has been the driving forces of overcoming the adversity of being poor when I was younger. My major long-term goal is to become a pharmacist and open CultureRx, a pharmacy located in a low-income community that specifically caters to all minority groups, with greater emphasis on Haitians. It is disheartening to me when I talk to patients of a Caribbean background while at work who are on multiple medications, but they don’t know what they are for or even if the medication is working for them. This is a sad reality for many, especially because of language barriers but my goal with CultureRx is to close that gap. I am from Miami which is one of the most culturally diverse cities in America, yet I have never seen a local pharmacy that was specifically made for Islanders by an islander; Although I have seen many other pharmacies that cater to their specific ethnic group. I plan on planting the seed of opening the first Haitian-owned pharmacy in an underserved community, lacking representation, and lacking a leader who can speak out on behalf of the community

As a person currently going through the PharmD program at FAMU, I can see firsthand the financial hardship for some of the students, including me. Most of us who have already completed a bachelor's degree are now placed in a predicament of ONLY being able to take out private loans with high interest rates to pay for school. This is because the program is coded in a way that doesn't allow P1 and P2 learners to get federal funding from the government. This then creates a lot of distress for the student in figuring out how they're going to pay for the program, especially for those who can't qualify for the private loan. My short-term goal as a pharmacist is to create a scholarship program specifically for FAMU students who fall into this gap of not being able to receive federal funding for their education for their first two years of pharmacy school. Dr. Sami Shafiq-Baker has allowed me the opportunity to apply for scholarships such as this one, which make a huge difference for us P1s who are struggling to pay for other school-related expenses. I would like to extend help to my fellow future pharmacists who will come after me in hopes that we can encourage students to not give up on their dreams because of financial constraints.