When Nina Oliva '56P was studying Pharmacy at St. John’s
Schermerhorn Street campus in Brooklyn, she was one of only a few
women who had chosen to prepare for what was then an almost
exclusively male profession. The women became close to each
other as students, and have maintained their friendships over the
years.
“My class had only 8 or 9 women Pharmacy students,” she
recalled. “We made a connection then and some of us have stayed in
touch ever since.”
After graduating from St. John’s, Nina worked at Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center in New York before leaving to raise her
three daughters. She returned to pharmacy practice 11 years
later as a hospital pharmacist at Good Samaritan Hospital on Long
Island. “I always liked hospital pharmacy much more than
retail,” she said “and so when I went back to work after caring for
my children, the position at Good Samaritan was perfect for
me.”
Nina has fond memories of her professors and friends from her
student days. She is particularly grateful to Dr. Andrew J.
Bartilucci, currently Dean Emeritus of St. John’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, who had a profound
influence on Nina during her senior year and helped her to become a
licensed pharmacist.
Throughout the years, Nina has remained connected to St. John’s
through alumni events and by keeping up with former
classmates. She is a member of The McCallen Society, and
urges other alumni to consider their own membership. “I have
very fond memories of St. John’s,” she said. “The values that
were instilled in me as a student have always been important to me,
both personally and professionally. I’m a member of The
McCallen Society because it’s a wonderful way for me to establish a
legacy and give back for everything that I’ve gotten from St.
John’s.”
Explaining her dedication to alma mater, Nina said
simply, “It’s a part of my life.”