LCC grad prepares for pharmacy school

Owen White of Kinston set his sights on attending pharmacy school when he was a freshman at South Lenoir High School. Taking advantage of Career and College Promise classes, which allowed him to be dually enrolled at Lenoir Community College and at his high school, he continued his education at LCC with one thought in mind – becoming a pharmacist.

After two associate degrees from LCC and after completing his studies in the Pre-Pharmacy Program at Campbell University, White is officially heading to Campbell University’s Pharmacy School in the fall to earn a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree in 2025.

“I am looking forward to meeting other pharmacy students that I can form bonds with this upcoming year,” he said. “This will help with studying and navigating through pharmacy school. I am also looking forward to the interprofessional education that Campbell offers students.”

White said three years of the four-year program will be spent in the classroom and the final year will be spent doing rotations in a pharmacy setting.

“Upon graduating, I hope to find a job at a community pharmacy where I can improve the quality of pharmacist-patient relationships, thus improving the healthcare in the community,” he said. 

White said he credits LCC for much of his success of where he is today. “The faculty and staff are top quality, and are there to help, support, and guide you in any way that they can. From the first day I stepped on campus, I never felt like a stranger. It was always a comfortable environment, which I believe correlates to the quality of education at the college. LCC offers so many different courses and exposes students to countless opportunities to better themselves and advance in their career. “

A technical assistant in the LCC Foundation Office, White said he forms special relationships with the Foundation staff that he will always treasure. “I can’t thank the Foundation staff enough for being the best of the best and supplying every student with opportunities to attend and succeed at LCC.” 

White said his greatest challenge thus far in school has been Organic Chemistry. “I have had to retake this difficult subject in order to gain the adequate knowledge for matriculating into pharmacy school,” he said. 

“Before Organic, I had never retaken any class, so it was certainly mentally crushing when I found out that I had to defer my acceptance one year to retake it. I began questioning if I was good enough to enter pharmacy school.”

He said with the support of my family, friends, and professors, he decided to stick with it and not give up on his dream. “I knew one bump in the road did not mean I needed to turn around.”

“This challenge has allowed me to grow as a student and has taught me so much about myself. I am proud to say I defeated this challenge this past spring and I look forward to the challenges that pharmacy school will bring,” he added.  

Looking back at undergraduate school, White said it prepared him for pharmacy school by showing him how important it is to not fall behind in class. “I finally realized it is always better to go to tutoring and resolve the issue than to ignore the material you don’t understand and keep going.”

Since his days at LCC, White said his life has changed in several ways. “First, I was accepted into pharmacy school at Campbell in 2019 after graduating from LCC. This would not have been possible without my attending LCC and gaining all of the credits the College offers,” he said. “I am so blessed to have been able to attend LCC where I completed the majority of my pre-requisite courses.”

“My life also changed in that my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in March,” he said. “Being that this was in the middle of a pivotal Organic Chemistry class, I had to mentally and emotionally adjust and still focus on my school work, while my brother and I did everything we could to help our mom.”

Currently, White is working at Beulaville Pharmacy as a pharmacy technician. “I began working at this community pharmacy in August of 2020, and I thoroughly enjoy working there. I will continue to work full time until I start pharmacy school this August.”

The philosophy that guides and keeps him encouraged for the past three years or so is a quote from Nelson Mandela. “He said ‘I never lose. Either I win, or learn.’ I think this quote is one major reason I decided to retake organic and not give up on my dream of pharmacy school.”