Ever since elementary school, you have been in pursuit of your calling. You have learned a range of skills and acquired various traits that have gotten you where you are today. Your decisions turned into actions; your actions set you on your own distinct path to success. But the road is not always clear and sometimes you are forced to proceed in directions unknown. No matter the path, however, you always end up at your unique destination.

This year’s APhA–ASP presidential theme, “Embrace Your Calling,” really resonates with me because of my own journey to find my calling. I graduated college with an accounting degree. Thereafter, I went to law school and was admitted to the New York and New Jersey bars. A few years into practicing as an attorney, I found myself deeply unhappy in my career. I felt I was destined for something else.

I often visited my parents’ pharmacy two doors down from the law firm where I practiced. Seeing their devotion to their patients evoked an epiphany: patient care is my true passion. I wanted to help others through health care. That year, I made one of the biggest decisions in my life: to embrace my calling, I left my career as an attorney and became a student pharmacist at the Temple University School of Pharmacy.

In my current role as Associate Professor and Residency Program Director at the Concordia University Wisconsin School of Pharmacy, we often speak to our students about discerning their vocation (their “calling”) and how faculty, staff, and our community partners can help them in this process. Attending and graduating from pharmacy school is so much more than about becoming a pharmacist at the end. Yes, that’s important, but embracing the concepts of profession and servant leadership are what will lead to long-term success and satisfaction.

It is easy to get wrapped up in the week-by-week onslaught of exams, quizzes, and projects. My advice is to take advantage of the opportunities that allow you to take a breath and think about the profession in broader terms and what that might mean for you. Along the way, I have picked up some additional tips from trusted mentors and my own experiences. 

Eager to grow as a patient educator, I first competed in the local APhA–ASP Patient Counseling Competition in my second year of pharmacy school. I challenged myself to improve and compete every year after that. At APhA2018 in Nashville, the work of the last 4 years of pharmacy school was rewarded when I won the national APhA–ASP Patient Counseling Competition, which is supported by CVS Health.

Student pharmacists came together during the APhA2019 APhA–ASP Awards Celebration in Seattle to recognize the outstanding achievements of chapters and individuals across the country. This was a time to acknowledge the positive impact student pharmacists had not only on their local communities, but also collectively on the country.

Here is a run-down of all the action from a memorable Saturday evening.