WesternU Student Wins State Pharmacy Award

Jennifer Carpenter of Yorba Linda, a pharmacy student at Western

University of Health Sciences (WesternU), has been awarded a $2,000

scholarship by the California Pharmacists Association.

Carpenter is one of four students to have been selected for the Robert C.

Johnson Scholarship this year. The award recognizes outstanding students

who have demonstrated leadership and interest in advancing the pharmacy

profession. She was honored as a recipient at the Western Pharmacy

Education Faire held in Anaheim on October 1.

“”I was very excited to learn I’d been chosen for the scholarship,””

Carpenter said. “”It’s an honor to be recognized by a state-wide

organization.””

At WesternU, Carpenter is a fourth-year student and anticipates receiving

her doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degree in June. She maintains a 4.0 grade

point average and is involved with the American Pharmaceutical

Association’s Academy of Students of Pharmacy and the California Society

of Health-System Pharmacists, in addition to the California Pharmacists

Association.

“”I contribute as much as I can by volunteering through pharmaceutical

organizations; I think that’s a really important part of my education,””

Carpenter said.

She said she decided to go into the field after working at a drug store

pharmacy, where she became fascinated with prescription medication and its

effects on the body. A Southern California native, she graduated from

Esperanza High School in Anaheim and attended Cal Poly Pomona before

coming to WesternU.

According to Elizabeth Johnson, PharmD, senior vice president of the

California Pharmacists Association, Carpenter was selected for the award

because of her dedication to studying pharmacy.

“”Jennifer’s involvement with a diverse number of pharmacy-related

activities and demonstrated leadership is what set her apart from the

other candidates,”” Dr. Johnson said.

The Robert C. Johnson Scholarship was established in 1998 in honor of the

former executive vice president of the California Pharmacists Association.

It is funded by McKesson Drug Company and Pharmaceutical Care Network and

is provided through the California Pharmacists Association Educational

Foundation. It is given annually to one student from each of the four

pharmacy schools in the state.