By Jennifer Chen

Coming from a diverse neighborhood on the East Coast, I did not know what to expect as an Asian American attending pharmacy school at the Purdue University College of Pharmacy. Upon arriving in Indiana 5 years ago, I suddenly found myself in an environment where I quickly realized my identity as an Asian American made me different.

At first, it seemed as if I was different in a negative way, because I was forced to face several instances of microaggressions and racism. As time went on, however, I found a home in the Asian American community on campus and became a leader within various Asian-interest organizations. These organizations all served a common goal of creating a welcoming environment where Asian Americans could find people who shared common experiences, such as feeling stuck in between two cultures. While being different brought us together, being together helped us learn about the variety of cultures in the community. 

From this community, I learned to lead. By my last year of pre-pharmacy, I was serving on the executive board of the Purdue Asian American Association. As I started my first year of pharmacy school, I took on the role of Vice President. From that point on, I began to realize how much I loved creating a home and seeing friendships form among fellow students. The work I was doing was setting precedents, and I had earned the privilege of being a role model for others.

Becoming a pharmacy leader

Despite how much I loved contributing to the Asian American community, all the time and hard work I dedicated to it was always overshadowed by a constant feeling of doubt. I wondered if I should be dedicating more time to the pharmacy community instead. At the time, I was fairly active in two pharmacy organizations at Purdue, APhA–ASP and the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP). Going into my second year of pharmacy school, I decided I needed to get more involved with my pharmacy classmates and learn from them, as well. That year, I applied for and was accepted into Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS), the pharmacy leadership society. It was encouraging that the pharmacy community recognized my leadership experiences from Asian American organizations. I gained confidence that my unique background offered a valuable perspective.

With this newfound determination, I attended my first APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition in 2017, held in San Francisco, where I had the privilege of connecting with other student pharmacists on a national level. Witnessing first-hand what they were accomplishing around the country inspired me to create change in Purdue’s pharmacy community, similar to what I had accomplished for the Asian American community. I then took on three roles: International Vice President of our APhA–ASP Chapter, President of the Alpha Zeta Chapter of Rho Chi, and Co-Director for the Local Pharmacy and Therapeutics Competition under Purdue’s AMCP Chapter. For our APhA–ASP Chapter, I created a World HIV Day event and led the committee for organizing our second Student Exchange Program, continuing a new tradition. In addition, I helped revitalize our Rho Chi Chapter by working with the executive board to implement four new initiatives, including a joint event hosted with PLS that set a new precedent for welcoming first-year students to our College of Pharmacy.

Leading and learning

After taking on a variety of leadership roles by my third year of pharmacy school, I was exposed to diverse leadership styles and enjoyed learning from my peers. Being a student leader also connected me to an amazing group of faculty mentors. Professors within the College of Pharmacy and the Asian American and Asian Resource and Cultural Center became sources of encouragement and inspiration as I exchanged stories of challenges and successes with them.

My time in the Midwest has taught me to have confidence in pursuing my goals, including continuing to learn as a leader and serving as a voice for Asian Americans. Despite starting off as a complete stranger, I embraced this new experience and I am proud to have built upon two different communities at Purdue.