AACP

Five Student Pharmacists Awarded CVS Health Minority Scholarship

AACP Article

Stipend will provide financial support to underrepresented minority students.

For Immediate Release

Arlington, Va.—The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy has selected five underrepresented minority (URM) pharmacy students as recipients of the 2022 CVS Health Minority Scholarship recognizing their leadership, academic success, and a commitment to advancing the profession of pharmacy and patient care. Each awardee will receive a single $8,000 scholarship.

The goal of the scholarship program is to support the financial need of URM students who are entering into or recently enrolled in Pharm.D. programs at AACP member institutions. The purpose of the scholarship is to reduce the financial barriers and challenges for URM students who are pursuing a Pharm.D. degree. URM pharmacy students are identified as black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and/or Pacific Islander students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

The 2022 CVS Health Minority Scholarship Recipients are:

  • Sochima Oriaku, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
  • Joanne Stephens, Creighton University
  • Jordan Louis, Howard University
  • Celeste Noelle Bustria, University of California, San Francisco
  • Gislia Negrete, Pacific University Oregon

"We are delighted to partner with CVS Health again this year to recognize and support a new cohort of well-deserving student pharmacists who embody the values of diversity and excellence," said AACP Executive Vice President and CEO Lee Vermeulen, B.S.Pharm., M.S., FCCP, FFIP.

"This prestigious program reflects the mutual commitment that CVS Health and AACP have made to promoting a diverse workforce who can provide quality care to patients in communities that are too often underserved and suffer health disparities."

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"As the leading health solutions company, we are proud to serve millions of people from diverse backgrounds and cultures across the country," said Prem Shah, Executive Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer, CVS Health and Co-President, CVS Pharmacy.

"Our pharmacists represent the diversity of those patients and understand their lives and experiences. In fact, pharmacists are considered to be among the most accessible and trusted health care professionals because of their closeness to their communities. Through our work with the AACP, we are proud to support pharmacy students from diverse communities, advancing the profession now and in the future."

Nearly 400 submissions were received for the 2022 scholarship. In their application essays, recipients described how their life experiences as a minority student influenced their decision to pursue a pharmacy career. They selected one aspect of their background or one characteristic about themselves and described how it will contribute to their success in pharmacy and the well-being of future patients.  

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