As a final-year student pharmacist, I have had the opportunity to appreciate different sides of practice that I knew very little about prior to beginning rotations in May. Each of my rotation experiences has provided me with unique opportunities for personal and professional growth, but none of these was more unique than the APhA Experiential Program. Among the many exciting opportunities I had as an APhA Experiential student with the Student and New Practitioner Development Department, I had the distinct honor of attending sessions during the September APhA Board of Trustees meeting.

This year in APhA–ASP, each student pharmacist is challenged to “Live Your Why.” As a final-year student pharmacist, I can say with certainty that my “why,” my raison d’etre, my reason for getting out of bed in the morning, centers on two things: serving my patients and advancing my profession. I am particularly passionate about pharmacists’ pursuit of provider status because I know that in this one campaign, those two “whys” are combined.

This past summer, I had the unique opportunity to complete a student fellowship with Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter (R–GA), a freshman congressman and pharmacist. I experienced so many wonderful times over the summer and met some amazing people along the way. I attended meetings, briefings, and conferences with Rep. Carter, and even helped shape the talking points of his speeches for a number of events