August 21, 2023
Loraine Rivera, Pharm.D. candidate class of 2027, moved to North Carolina from Puerto Rico 11 years ago when she was fresh out of high school. She didn’t know any English and started working immediately to help her learn the language.
Her first job was at McDonald’s, which was a special experience because she not only started to learn English, but she also met her fiancé. She added being a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and optometric technician to her resume before finding her path as a pharmacy tech at Walgreens.
Rivera’s journey was just getting started. “I got my undergraduate degree from Campbell University in biology—all while I was in the military and working at Walgreens,” she said.
She served in the U.S. Army Reserve for six years as a logistics specialist. She oversaw inventory, uniforms and more to support Army soldiers. Her contract finished in November 2022, and she’s ready to focus full-time on becoming a pharmacist. “The military showed me values that I see in the pharmacy career too like helping people and being a leader,” said Rivera.
While she worked as a CNA and optometric technician, she learned the important skills of building relationships with patients and providing them with the best care. Most recently, she worked in the inpatient pharmacy for UNC Health Johnston in Smithfield.
“I love it. I love what pharmacists do—they have the ability to be clinical and communicate with doctors and nurses. I also love the different opportunities pharmacy gives you—industry, community pharmacy and more,” she said.
Rivera is looking forward to her first year at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She’s most interested in the hospital setting, but admits she is taking it one day at a time as she learns about all the career path opportunities.
“I wanted to come to Carolina because it’s the number one pharmacy school. I want to acquire the best knowledge and skills, so I can take care of my patients,” she said. “I’m also really grateful for the Fuller Scholarship—especially coming from a place where I’ve had to work all my life. It’s wonderful and I feel so blessed.”
Latest News
Ph.D. student aims to make global impact through vaccine research
