Pharm.D. Candidate Earns National CVS Health/AACP Community Pharmacy Award

Last semester, Kharissa Seepersaud, a Pharm.D. candidate in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and a native of Ghana, was selected as a recipient of the 2025 CVS Health/ AACP Community Pharmacy Award for Student Pharmacists.

The award recognizes her advocacy, leadership, academic success, and commitment to advancing the pharmacy profession and patient care in underserved communities. The scholarship aims to reduce financial barriers for eligible student pharmacists pursuing a Pharm.D. degree who are committed to addressing health disparities and the well-being of individual patients in communities across the US.

“I came across this scholarship while searching for different opportunities in which to apply, as my scholastic scholarship at St. John’s was ending in my fifth year, which is considered graduate-level study,” Kharissa noted, adding, “Receiving it was completely unexpected and hard to put into words. It has helped me in ways beyond what I can fully express by providing both financial relief and a deep sense of reassurance.”

Early exposure to St. John’s while still in high school cemented Kharissa’s desire to attend. “This was a place I could truly see myself pursuing a career in pharmacy, thanks to the Changing Faces of Pharmacy program at St. John’s. The program gave me early exposure to the profession, coursework, and campus environment. That experience confirmed my interest in pharmacy and left a strong impression on me.”

Kharissa said the Pharm.D. program offered her a direct, efficient pathway to earning a doctorate while still maintaining a rigorous academic foundation. “I was drawn to the strong sense of community I felt on campus, as it seemed like a place where students are supported while being challenged to grow.”

A family-oriented person, St. John’s proximity to her home in Queens, NY, allowed Kharissa to stay connected to her family “while still gaining independence and fully engaging in my education. Overall, St. John’s offered the right balance of academic opportunity, community, and support for my personal and professional goals.”

Kharissa’s interest in pharmacy developed after speaking with her cousin, a practicing pharmacist and a St. John’s graduate, and through conversations with another cousin currently enrolled in the program. “Through those conversations, along with my own research into the field and my experience attending the St. John’s pharmacy program during high school, I realized how diverse and rewarding pharmacy could be. Being accepted into the Pharm.D. program ultimately solidified pharmacy as my career goal.”

One of Kharissa’s favorite aspects of the St. John’s Pharmacy program is the Drug and Disease suite of courses that begin in the third year, particularly the pharmacology and therapeutics components. “Although these courses are intense and fast-paced, they provide a strong foundation in understanding various disease states and the medications used to treat diverse patient populations. I enjoy learning the clinical side of pharmacy, especially how to evaluate different drug classes, understand their unique properties, and apply that knowledge to make appropriate treatment decisions in real-world scenarios.”

Kharissa stressed that she also values the cohort-based structure of the program. “Progressing through the curriculum with the same group of classmates allows us to build strong relationships and a supportive community, which has been an important part of my experience.”

Kharissa loves her chosen profession. “It is centered on service to others. I have always known I wanted a career in the health-care field. I am drawn to pharmacy because it allows me to be involved in patient care in multiple ways,” including direct interaction through counseling patients, and working behind the scenes to prepare and ensure medications are safe and appropriate for use.

“Being able to contribute to a patient’s health and well-being is extremely rewarding, and it brings me comfort knowing that my work supports patients through medication safety and effective treatment,” she said.

Kharissa has not committed to a specific area of pharmacy and is enjoying her exposure to different practice settings. Currently, she works as a pharmacy intern in both the retail and inpatient settings at CVS Pharmacy and NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital. In the retail setting, she assists with insurance processing, patient communication, counseling on over-the-counter products under pharmacist supervision, and administering vaccinations. In the inpatient hospital setting, she primarily works in the intravenous room preparing compounded sterile products.

“I envision a future within the hospital and clinical setting,” Kharissa observed. “Over time, I have grown to genuinely enjoy working in this environment, including the counseling and sterile compounding aspects, as well as the level of professional communication and collaboration that takes place.”

Reflecting on the scholarship, Kharissa said, “It reassured me that I am on the right path and the effort I am putting into my education truly matters. It gave me renewed motivation to keep going strong in my program, to continue seeking new experiences, and to grow both personally and professionally.”