A distinctive character trait peers would use to describe Samantha Teshima ’22 is her dedication to serving others. As the 2020-21 president of Pacific’s American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) she was at the helm of the umbrella organization that manages all the pharmacy-related student groups.

Her vantage point overseeing 230 leadership positions as APhA-ASP president gives her a unique perspective for encouraging students to pursue leadership opportunities.

“Get to know the current leaders,” Teshima said. “Talk to people – you would be amazed at how interacting with others can give you a better idea of the organization’s culture, values and ideals – and if they fit your own.”

Serving as APhA-ASP president was transformative to her leadership development and opened doors to networking with leaders of state and local professional organizations. Teshima received the John J. Carbone Memorial Scholarship from the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists Research and Education Foundation.

“This scholarship is a reminder of how far I have come since starting pharmacy school,” said Teshima. “I not only have incredible mentors who have supported me but also had the opportunity to serve as a mentor as well. This scholarship is a promise to myself to continue to serve my patients, the profession and my future mentees.”

Service to others extends to patients.

“I am a second-generation pharmacist in the making,” she said. “I have constantly been inspired by my parents’ dedication to the profession. Pharmacists are known as the most accessible health care providers – I wanted to pursue a health care profession that is accessible to all because patient care is very important to me.”

An interest in chemistry led her to earn a bachelor of science in pharmaceutical chemistry from University of California, Davis.

“Pharmacists are considered the chemists of the health care team,” she explained.

After graduating this May, she is excited to embark on the next phase of her personal and professional development through a PGY1 residency at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco.