Ole Miss Student Receives National Pharmacy Scholarship

Kelsey Stephens (center) receives the Gloria Francke Scholarship from Lucy West, national APhA-ASP president, and Nick Capote, outgoing APhA-ASP president. Courtesy of Ole Miss News

Kelsey Stephens, a rising third-year professional pharmacy student at the University of Mississippi, has been awarded the $1,000 Gloria Francke Scholarship from the American Pharmacists Association Foundation Student Scholarship Program.

APhA student scholarships are awarded to students who “demonstrate school and community leadership, and a commitment to the future of pharmacy,” according to the organization’s website.

A Greenwood native, Stephens has served as professional year one, or PY1, liaison for the Ole Miss chapter of APhA-Academy of Student Pharmacists and as the chapter’s president-elect.

Francke was a nationally renowned leader in pharmacy. She served in a number of significant roles, some of which included acting as assistant director of the APhA Division of Hospital Pharmacy, serving as a drug literature specialist and serving as the honorary president of APhA. She was also the owner and operator of Drug Intelligence Publications.

Joseph A. Dikun, Stephens’ APhA-ASP adviser, said he knew that she was the perfect fit for this scholarship because she exemplifies the same leadership that Francke did.

“It has been a pleasure to watch Kelsey grow as a leader over these past few years,” Dikun said. “Since she began her service to APhA-ASP, she has completely invested herself into the success of the chapter.”

Through her leadership positions in APhA-ASP, Stephens has worked with the pharmacy student executive committee, as well as with her fellow chapter members to help develop new projects and operations within the APhA-ASP chapter. Some of those include Generation Rx, Operation GameDay, fundraising events, a table etiquette dinner and Operation Breathe.

“(Kelsey) has been a shining example of picking up the torch to ensure that the work of past leaders has not been done in vain through her dedicated service to improve our APhA-ASP chapter,” Dikun said. “As a result of that service, she has created a valuable member experience and provided care to the local community.”

Stephens said she is thankful for APhA’s focus on “advocacy, responsibility, organization and communication skills.” She said she hopes her experience in APhA-ASP will help her bring about change locally and nationally while helping to improve patient care.

“I am truly honored to be selected as the 2015 Gloria Francke Scholar due to her legacy as an outstanding female pioneer in the profession of pharmacy,” she said. “I aspire to influence the pharmacy profession in the same manner as Gloria Francke.”

Courtesy of Ole Miss News
By Gabrielle Gero