BOA

The first seat on my board of advisors would go to my high school soccer coach Zenati. While I was in high school he always motivated and pushed us to be better people. He stressed the importance of integrity and character and would remind us daily that it didn't matter how good you were, if you had no character, you had no place on this team. The reason he would be on my board would be because he would always make sure I'm on the right track morally and would stop me from doing anything that would harm my values. The second seat on my board of advisors would go to my grandmother. She has always been there to guide me and teach me how to be a good son and brother. She would be on my board because she wouldn't want me to develop bad habits and she would always have my best interest in mind. My third seat would go to my best friend Antoine. I have known him since 6th grade and I know that I can always trust in him. He would be on my board as someone that I could go to when I'm feeling overwhelmed or stressed and be able to talk without him judging or misinterpreting what I say. The fourth seat on my board would go to my dear friend Uriel. He is someone that I know has had to face a lot of opposition in his life and had to overcome all of it. He would be on my board because he would be the one to challenge and motivate me to do better when I feel like quitting or giving up. The fifth seat on my board would go to my youngest sister Dani. All my life I have babysat and taken care of her. I know that I am a huge part of her life and that she really looks up to me. She's a very sweet, kind, and loving little girl. The reason she would be on my board is because in her mind I'm great, giving, and kind. She would be the one that holds me accountable for all my actions and keeps striving to be better and kinder to all.

 For my interview, I did not personally know any pharmacist so Mrs. Kate suggested Mrs. Garn. I interviewed Jennifer Garn, a pharmacist at the University of Oklahoma Goddard Health Services Center. With the intent on getting a better insight as to what goes on in a pharmacy and figure out if it was the right job for me.

To start off the interview I asked her why she wanted to be a pharmacist. She told me that while she was in high school she worked in a drug store. At that drug store, there were two female pharmacists and that both women had a family. They were both able have a career and have a family life. This is an important factor, in my opinion, because these days to many parents are caught up in their jobs and miss the opportunity to be a parent and watch their children grow up. Someday I wish to have a family of my own, and I want to be able to be there for my children to teach them my values and support them with whatever it is that they may be interested in.

The next issue would be school. I asked Mrs. Garn what subjects she was most interested in while she attended college, he answer was her English classes. I then asked her what her least favorite classes were, her answer was O-Chem. For me, it’s quite the opposite. I’m not a fan of grammar, never have been, so I find myself having to work harder in that class than any of my other classes, even chemistry. I enjoy chemistry, I find the science very intriguing and challenging in a good way. I enjoy the labs and learning about why our world functions that way it does.

So if the day comes that I graduate from the school of pharmacy and get my degree and job, then what? Working at a pharmacy can be a very repetitive job, how would I keep myself motivated or entertained? I asked Mrs. Garn this and her answer was, “Well although counting and looking at medications is repetitive every single patient is different. The relationships I’ve had with all these patients is amazing. I worked at target corporation for 18 years and in those different settings I got to know the patients to where I was the only pharmacist they ever had for all their children and their families and every year.”

I am a very competitive person, so, of course, I want to be the very best at whatever I'm doing. I wanted to know what makes an ideal pharmacist. Mrs. Garn told me that to be successful you need to be confident when you talk to patients. She said, " [Y]ou could have all the book knowledge in the world, but if you can't convey that message to a patient for them to trust you and believe what you're saying is true then it just stops right there." She couldn't stress this enough. It was at the heart of pharmacy, to be a pharmacist is an enormous responsibility. You become responsible for all the lives of the patients you provide medicine too. One slip up and it could ruin your whole career.

Sometimes work can be overwhelming, it happens to everyone. I wanted to know how Mrs. Garn dealt with this. She said that fortunately there are three pharmacists at Goddard, and they are each experienced enough to know when any of them are overwhelmed with work. When they sense this they can take over for the other person so they can have some time to relax and unwind a little.

Probably the hardest part of being a pharmacist is trying to decipher doctor's notes. I asked Mrs. Garn what she did when she couldn't make out the prescriptions. Her answer was quite simple. "[W]e call the doctor and speak to them or the nurse to find out even if the directions don’t seem appropriate for the patient." Looks like I'll be able to sleep at night now.

Science is always changing and improving, especially medicine, so how do pharmacist keep up with current practices? She told me something I was not aware of. She told me that each state has their own laws as to how much continued education you have to do. Oklahoma requires 15 hours. They also receive monthly newsletters with information regarding new laws or changes to how the bottles should be.

Be a pharmacist can be challenging, it’s a great responsibility, and it requires continued education. It’s a lot to ask for, but by being a pharmacist you can make a positive impact on this world. I want to be a pharmacist because I want to help the people who need me most. I want to provide care for the families that struggle to pay bills, I want to help the children that may not have shoes to wear, I want to help the community I live in and help it grow and develop so that we all live as a family. I want to be a pharmacist, and this interview only strengthen my attitude. 

Attitude is the most vital part when accomplishing a group task. If all the members of the group have  a positive attitude it will help them work together more efficiently and smoothly speeding up the process. likewise if the members of the group have a negative attitude they will work together less efficiently and slow down or halt the project. My high school soccer coach always had a winning attitude. He taught us that nothing in life is given and that you must fight for everything you want whether it be a physical or psychological object. He did his best to maintain a positive attitude and teach us to do the same. Our attitudes are our most important asset because it is our attitudes that determine whether or not we accomplish anything. You can be the most gifted artist in the world but if you don't have the attitude to start painting, finish painting, or even do a good job while painting then all your talent goes to waste.

Problems that turn into challenges.

Problems often turn into challenges and that's just the way life goes. One problem that turned into a challenge for me is my daily life here on campus. From the first day of class I was more than eager to join all these groups and organizations that give back to the community, help develop leadership skills, or are just made to have a good time. Now my daily schedule is a puzzle and i have to figure out how to be able to do everything that I want to do and still be a successful college student. For example, I'm in three student organizations, the homecoming committee, a dance group for homecoming, I work 16 hours a week, want to join the Oklahoma National Guard, fraternity life, want to join the OU ROTC, and my daily classes. It's not easy. Fortunately, my #1 strength is Deliberate. This means that I take everything into careful consideration, and make sure I make the right decisions. I know what to prioritize and what I can do without. My schedule conflicts a lot, but I always prioritize academics, then work, then everything else. Just recently I started to use a planner to help keep track of class times, due dates, and exam dates. Now it's easier to plan my daily life and I'm forgetting less than before. My life here on campus is challenging and very complicated, but it's nothing that I can't do.

My priorities before coming to OU was to come to OU. Now that I'm here my main priority is to get accepted into the school of pharmacy. My priorities haven't changed. I am still doing the best I can to maintain an excellent GPA and excel in my classes. My three goals for this semester are to do well in all my classes, get involved on campus, and have fun. In order to get involved on campus I am joining a lot of organizations such as UPB, HASA, SLB, and Circle K.

Hakuna Matata.

Who has influenced me?
A lot of different people have influenced me over the years like teachers, friends, family, and coaches. They've all tried to teach me moral lessons to improve on my abilities as a human to lead and help others. They all said the same basic things; go to college, be good to others, help the needy, be honest, and etc. My dad was one of the people who would tell me this. And while I appreciated it, I feel like that's not how he influenced me the most. He influenced me more with his story of coming to the US and establishing a life here and then a landscaping company. How he works 9 hours a day 6 days a week to put food on the table.
What has influenced me?
As previously stated my dad's story influenced me, but so did a lot more. Seeing my parents go from renting a 1 room apartment to owing a 3 room house, taking care of 4 children, and doing they're best to provide us with all the essentials of life really makes me want to do the best I can so that one day I could pay them back for all they've done for me and my siblings. Also the idea of one day having a family is a huge influence to me. I want to be able to provide them with everything they need and then some.
Has it changed since high school?
No, I'm a pretty stubborn dude and it took a while for me to have the mindset I have to today. The mindset I graduated high school with is the one I want to keep because this one is the one that got me into the University of Oklahoma. I don't ever want to become lazy or lose sight of my goals.
Who do I hope to influence?d
If I was only able to influence a few people it would be my children. I would want them to understand that their neither me nor their grandparents ever knew what the privileged life was like and that we've had to work hard for everything that we have. I would hope that they would be inspired somewhat like I have been and understand that they have an unlimited potential to be whatever they want to be.