The Importance of Mentors

The mentors I have had over the years have really helped shape who I am as a student/man today. With each new setting there has been someone that has helped me along on my journey. 

In high school, I had several mentors that provided guidance and direction. My guidance counselor had my best interest in mind and helped me decide to pursue pharmacy at UConn.  It may sound crazy but she helped me with so much more than just the college admission process. She was very helpful in my personal life. She helped me keep things in prospective and formulate a plan of action for every difficult situation I was in. 

My lacrosse coach was another important mentor in my life. He taught me the importance of patience and focus. When I arrived at Bacon Academy high school, there wasn't an established lacrosse program. A group of friends and I worked with my coach to start a club team. We were told we would need to raise money and participation in the sport before the school would grant us varsity status. Over 2 years, under my coach, we raised enough funds and developed a full roster of 50 students. My Junior year of high school we became a varsity sport. All of the hard work and patience had paid off! We received a full coaching staff in addition to school funds. 

Coming to college, I found new mentors. I established relationships with these mentors after joining various organizations on campus. One such group that has given so much to me is Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity. Older members of this group have provided invaluable advice and guidance over the years. They were instrumental in helping me get into pharmacy school.

There are a few particular older students who were critical in my decision to pursue a pharmaceutical industry fellowship upon graduation. After completing my retail and institutional IPPE rotation hours, I still wanted to  push the boundaries of what my degree could do. I asked my professors about other non-traditional avenues of pharmacy. They gave me the contacts of several older students who were seeking careers in industry as well as healthcare management companies. Here I was, a P2, reaching out to students who I had never even seen before. Every student I talked to has been more than helpful in helping me get an understanding of their plan and what they currently doing to help them get there. The UConn family really does take care of its students.

I'm blessed to have met so many who have helped me over the years. I would not be the man I am today if it weren't for all my professors, friends, and colleagues who have bent over backwards to help me reach my goals.

Throughout my time at UConn, I have been very mindful of my mentors. I know my life would be different without them and with this in mind, I try my best to pay it back by offering advice to younger students applying to pharmacy school. I was a Resident Assistant in the pre-Pharmacy Learning Community. Sometimes the job was a real headache but it was very rewarding to see students I had talked to about classes and the pharmacy admission process, go on to become P1 students in the program. Now as a P3 student, I try my best to be available and approachable to the younger P1 students.

There are many reasons to be excited about graduating. One thing I look forward to is being in a position to really make a difference in a students life. To act as a resource and help students understand what to expect in the working world. I hope to be a preceptor after graduating and continue to help those who have ambition but just need the tools to fulfill their goals.