William Rhinehardt is a third-year PharmD candidate at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy.
After graduating high school, I began working at a community pharmacy, realizing that pharmacy was my true calling. However, I did not yet understand how much my career would evolve. Over the years in pharmacy, I often heard the saying: “Pharmacy is a small world, and everybody knows everybody.” This doesn't mean the profession itself is limited, but that the relationships we build are significant. We all share a deep commitment to our patients and aim to deliver the highest quality care.
While we may all share a common passion for pharmacy, each person has their own unique reason for becoming a pharmacist. For me, that reason begins with my grandpa, better known as Paw-Paw, who was my reason for becoming a pharmacist and my role model.
Lessons from Paw-Paw
Many student pharmacists have probably taken a Top 5 Strengths assessment for a class or project, and one of my personal strengths is Woo. Woo means I get energized when I break the ice with strangers and have a knack for connecting with people. I owe this to my Paw-Paw, who showed me that everyone is a stranger until you start a conversation. That's a lesson I carry with me every day. If I could say one thing to him now, it would be, “Thank you. Without your love and guidance, I wouldn't be the extrovert I am today.”
My Paw-Paw taught me that everybody is a stranger until you have a conversation. Pharmacy has taught me what happens after that conversation. A single conversation becomes a connection. Connections become friendships, mentorships, and opportunities. Like streams flowing together to form a river, each person we meet helps shape our journey. To me, that is the heart of “Guided by Purpose, Lifted by Unity,” which is Sean Kawa’s 2026–2027 APhA–ASP presidential theme. We are each guided by our own purpose, but it is through unity that we create something much greater than ourselves.
Building streams into rivers
Attending the 2026 APhA Institute on Substance Use Disorders in Utah truly deepened my understanding. I thought I was there to learn about medications and guidelines, but I discovered something even more valuable. I realized that healing often starts with a simple heartfelt conversation. Sometimes, all we need to do is listen with an open heart. Every person has a unique story, and each one deserves to be heard without any judgment.
Our APhA–ASP Chapter has really embraced this idea, consistently supporting me in spaces where I’ve seen how connection and compassion are just as vital as clinical knowledge. Our chapter keeps working to foster these meaningful conversations within our school and community, reminding us that pharmacy is just as much about caring for people as it is about the practice itself.
One important lesson I’ve learned is that guidelines help us make clinical decisions, but they can never tell us who a person is. They can’t reflect someone's struggles, achievements, or the journey that brought them to this point. As future pharmacists, we’ll encounter patients during some of their toughest times. Before offering medication advice, we must first ensure they feel seen, heard, and understood.
To me, that is what it means to be guided by purpose and lifted by unity. Purpose is the reason we chose this profession, but unity is found in the conversations we have, the compassion we show, and the willingness to meet people where they are. Whether I am serving through APhA–ASP, advocating for patients, or connecting with fellow student pharmacists, I hope to continue building those streams into rivers. Because sometimes all someone needs is one person who is willing to listen, show compassion, and remind them that they matter.
That is the kind of pharmacist, leader, and person I strive to become.