My attendance at the fall 2023 APhA–ASP Midyear Regional Meeting (MRM)—my third MRM—proved to be an exceptional experience that left me more motivated and inspired than ever before. This year’s innovative approach of offering on-site, on-campus, or online participation was a groundbreaking initiative to enhance accessibility and affordability for attendees.

The first time that I had heard the term “student pharmacist,” I was listening to a student Q&A panel while I toured the Ohio Northern University (ONU) Raabe College of Pharmacy. The phrase itself piqued my interest since it sounded like an official title for a student. It wasn’t until I attended my first pharmacy class that I heard this phrase being repeated by an instructor, who was enthusiastically telling us student pharmacists that we had such a grand future waiting for us. Soon after, I heard about APhA–ASP.

Attending multiple APhA Annual Meetings & Expositions over the past couple of years has been one of my most rewarding and unforgettable experiences as a student pharmacist. 

As the calendar turns to 2024, it’s time to hit the reset button and recharge for the adventures that lie ahead. 

In October 2023, a contact from Promise Land Storehouse, a food pantry in Charles City, VA, reached out to me about their holiday tradition of supplying filled holiday stockings for children and creating a “pop-up shop” for parents to get gifts for their kids. They were having some concerns about their ability to fulfill that for this year because they rely on donations—which they were low on this season—to provide these items. After giving the conversation more thought, I realized that I’m in a role in which I can help their community. I could use my leadership position as APhA–ASP Chapter president at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Pharmacy to inspire other students to help this cause.