Growing up, I knew I didn’t want a “boring” job, but I never could have imagined the twists and turns that would lead me to life as a specialty pharmacist serving Oklahoma’s most vulnerable patients.
As a child, I spent many afternoons waiting in my mother’s office at OU Medical Center while she finished her shift. There was so much to see and learn. On my best days, I would wander the campus, exploring hallways, peeking into lab sessions or listening to lectures just outside classroom doors. I was endlessly curious, and to their credit, faculty and students humored me — often sharing a laugh along the way.
In high school, that curiosity crystallized into purpose. I sought out mentors and was fortunate to connect with an associate professor in the College of Pharmacy who needed help with pharmacology research. Walking into that lab, I didn’t realize that I was taking my first steps into the field where I would spend the next two decades of my professional life. The math was simple: I loved the questions medical research asked, and I loved the real impact those answers could have on people’s lives. When I transitioned to college, pharmacy felt like a natural next step. I wanted to help more people with more tools…