From a young age, I developed a strong fascination for the pharmaceutical field after witnessing medical problems within my family. I observed my grandmother suffer from diabetes and other illnesses throughout her adult life. This experience inspired me to want to study ways to assist people with the treatment of their diseases and offer a healthier quality of life through the use of proper medications. I, myself, had to establish a more personal relationship with pharmacists by receiving counseling on my own medications. Through their consultations, I gained a strong and trustworthy bond with these professionals. Recognizing this as a pivotal moment, I began to further my interest through job shadowing. Observing their work ethics in public …show more content…
Throughout my undergraduate studies, I completed numerous biology, chemistry, and math courses to fully help me advance to higher learning upon graduation. During this time, I advanced my interest in pharmacy through my extensive laboratory research. I had the honor of presenting my findings at the 2016-2017 Women in STEM Experience (WiSE) Symposium held at the University of Alabama. This accomplishment opened many more opportunities for me to present my research at other symposiums and science-related events. My research was conducted on the basis of gaining knowledge on how the use of leptin hormone vitamin supplements affected the metabolism of Drosophila melanogaster, in regards, to obesity. Throughout my investigations, I examined the effect of body weight, movement behavior, and stress tolerance in order to determine the link of leptin signaling with dopamine synthesis pathways. This project sparked my interest on how to make the same connection with people and learn how pharmaceutical drugs affect their everyday lives. This was a great experience for me as I interacted with other students from all over the county and gained valuable knowledge on how to speak in front of viewers as I explained my work. I am appreciative of this opportunity as it gave me insight of how a pharmacist must deal with their audience of customers on a daily basis. It was a lesson on captivating my listeners much in the way a pharmacist does when consulting with a