The most impactful of all my experiences on campus came from being part of the Office of Residence Life as a Resident Assistant and Graduate Assistant for the better part of 5 years. These positions allowed me to not only be involved with almost every organization on campus but also inspire and connect younger generations of Johnnies with their peers to become better versions of themselves. Due to this, I was able to serve as a member of the President’s Society and become a student representative for the most influential university events such as the President’s Dinner.

Academically, St. John’s has allowed me to flourish as an honors student and exposed me to the various career offerings a pharmacy student can pursue post-graduation. As a pharmacy intern, I have had the pleasure of working in premier institutions and organizations such as NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and even the Food and Drug Administration. These experiences have truly embodied the Vincentian mission to provide care for people in need and have also made me proud to be a member of a society that focuses on improving the well-being of patients.

As my time at St. John’s University comes to a close I can truly say that the growth I have achieved here has been immeasurable. I would not be the person I am today without the guidance and support I have received from this university and can assure future Johnnies they are in good hands. I will forever cherish the memories, friends, and community I have built on this campus and hope to continue paying it forward to the next generation of St. John’s students!

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and I had only been to New York once in my life before when I was a toddler. In applying to colleges, I originally planned to stay in-state but my parents encouraged me to apply everywhere. Even after I applied, I was very set on going to school in LA until I researched more about St. John’s and realized it was a Catholic university. My faith was a huge part of my life and I eventually found the Catholic Scholars program and saw more leadership and service opportunities which got me excited for a chance to attend college here. I slowly began to participate in the virtual webinars St. John’s held and at one point, I joined a different webinar every few days just to learn more about the school. Of all the schools I applied to, St. John’s offered the most in terms of what I would want to be involved in. In addition to the faith aspect, it was one of the few schools that allowed pharmacy students to study abroad. As soon as I got the email from St. John’s I ran to my parents’ room to tell them and they always said they would never forget how excited I looked. It was in opening that email that I was sure I wanted to come to St. John’s. If anyone asks me if I regret coming here, I, without a doubt in my mind, say that one thing I will never regret is my decision to attend school here. I say this because in looking back at the last four years and especially now, I can say that these have been by far the most memorable years of my life. Coming into New York without knowing a single person and not even seeing the school was one of the scariest and hardest decisions I had to make as a high school graduate. It was my faith that gave me the strength to take a chance on this school which as I have come to realize is everything and more than I could have ever imagined. I was able to interview and be accepted into the Catholic Scholars program, which helps me continue my love for service and strengthen my faith in the same way I was able to back home. In addition, I continued my love for lectoring and altar serving in the St. Thomas Moore Church with the support of campus ministry and my moderators. I am also a member of a professional pharmacy fraternity and involved with multiple pharmacy organizations, which is helping me greatly in preparing for my role as a future pharmacist. I was blessed with the opportunity to study abroad, like I had dreamt of before college, in Spring of 2023 which was one of the best experiences of my life. Being able to live abroad for a semester and immerse myself in the culture and language of the people from each country has helped me develop my skills in catering to different people and improving my cultural competence. I also have been a resident assistant on campus as well as a member of the President’s Society which has added greatly to my experience at St. John’s. I was able to find my community and make this campus feel like what I now call my home, even more so than California does. I will forever be grateful for the opportunities I have had and the countless things I continue to learn, which all prepare me to be a well-rounded individual in everything I do. These skills will help me in my future as a pharmacist in doing every action with faith and for the well-being of the patient.