My first week of Pharmacy School!

What a good week!

I started orientation for the UAMS College of Pharmacy on Monday.  This consisted of meeting my classmates, learning the rules, registering, and getting ready for the official white coat ceremony!  Classes began on Thursday, and I really enjoyed them!  The chemistry came back to me quickly, although I am going to have to study quite a bit to keep up with the volume of material! 

 

Riding the bus early Monday morning, I met my first Pharmacy School friend when Miyako recognized me as Miss Arkansas 2011!   Another student mentioned, “I heard that Miss Arkansas would start Pharmacy school this year so I Googled you.”  Haha!  I am excited about getting to know my classmates.  Since there are only 120 students in our program, we have all of our classes together and will get to build a lasting network over the next four years!

Thursday and Friday, I was eager to attend the afternoon sessions of the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit.  Fellowship Church of Little Rock streamed the conference from Chicago to encourage churches and businesses to lead more effectively.  I scribbled lots of notes while listening to the last speaker, Craig Groeschel, who is the Founder and Head Pastor of LifeChurch.tv in Oklahoma.  He is known for innovative ministry and for creating the YouVersion Bible App.  Ironically, I have been using this App on my cell phone since February to read through the Bible.   Thursday, I completed reading the first half! 

Guess what Craig spoke about… MENTORING!  He challenged us to “bridge the gap” and explained the current issue separating the generations.  He thinks that my generation (Generation Y or Generation Millennia) is perceived negatively.  I researched on Google what words people use to describe us and created a word cloud with the results.  The more frequent words appear larger in the word cloud, which presents a comprehensive overview. 

It is my goal to improve these perceptions!  After traveling the state advocating for my generation during the last year, I will continue to speak up. I believe it is possible to reverse those adverse opinions.  For example, a negative, lazy image sometimes accompanies our avid use of technology and social media.  However, we can use those tools to our advantage as we promote our passions, stay informed, and creatively change the world.    As we develop necessary skills, we need to learn how our cause-driven energy can generate change for a better society.  We are the generation that we have been waiting for.  We just need to believe in ourselves!

But we can’t do it on our own.  We need help from the previous generations!  Here are two Bible verses that emphasize the importance and success of mentoring:

Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.  Psalm 71:18

For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.  Proverbs 11:14

Now, back to Pharmacy School...   Friday evening was our white coat ceremony, and I was thrilled to have so many friends and family present!  After the ceremony, my sister-in-law, Brooke, who graduated from UAMS Pharmacy School, joined me for a photo that will appear in the Alumni Magazine.  Then, we headed to NYPD Pizza for dinner and Loganberry for a frozen yogurt dessert!  What a great night!

Saturday, I spent the entire day in White Hall with an all-star crew!  Danny-Joe Crofford, native of White Hall and radio personality, recruited Liz Massey to help him co-emcee the Miss White Hall Pageant.  He also contacted Miss Arkansas 2009 Sarah Slocum Collins, KATV reporter Katherina Yancy, and me to judge the pageant!  I really enjoyed all the laughs that we shared throughout the day!

 Liz, Katherina, Danny-Joe, me, and Sarah

Judges.

 Danny-Joe and Liz as the co-hosts!

 Congrats to all of the contestants!

I learned several things about judging.  First of all, it is very difficult!  After submitting scores, I sometimes was surprised at the outcome… When scores are all tallied, one judge’s scores don’t influence the results as much as you might think!  Although I don’t remember many specific details of what the girls said in interview, I do recall how they made me feel.  For example, there were girls who made me feel very comfortable or eager to hear what they were saying, while others made me feel nervous or less enthusiastic about their vague responses.  After my experience from the “other side of the table,” I would like to emphasize to contestants that it is most important to connect with the judges during interview so they respond warmly when they see you onstage!  It truly was an eye-opening experience!