As student pharmacists, we should strive to champion the causes that matter, advocate for the profession, and inspire positive change for generations to come. My journey in advocacy has been transformative and has given me a sense of purpose as a voice for change within our profession.

As a future health care provider, I find it important to be able to connect with and advocate for patients so they feel empowered to make decisions on their health outcomes. I’ve had the privilege of working with various patient populations, such as in interprofessional clinics for underserved patients and summer camps for children with chronic illnesses enjoying a few days away from home with other children in similar situations. Being involved in helping patients actively participate in their health outcomes has been immensely rewarding as a student pharmacist.

As we celebrate National Diabetes Awareness Month in November, I’ve been reflecting on my diabetes experience.

The opioid crisis has been a trending topic in the United States for the last decade, fueled lately by the prevalence of street substances laced with fentanyl and skyrocketing overdoses. Pharmacists remain on the front line as educators and the most accessible health care professionals. APhA stands as an ally.

“Each of these values on this chart represents exactly that—a life that once held value. Every overdose is one too many and means that someone out there is losing someone they love.” These are the paraphrased words of Laura Palombi, PharmD, MPH, professor at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, from a talk about her work addressing the substance use disorder (SUD) epidemic that I heard while I was still an undergraduate student. I will never forget the experience of explaining to her that those dots on her graphs were from my hometown, and that not only could I put a name to three of them, but I could also describe the impact their losses had on my small, rural community. Dr. Palombi’s work is a huge inspiration for me, and it’s a big part of why I pursued pharmacy as a career. I now work to specialize in supporting those with diverse mental health needs and SUDs.