Roberto Rodriguez, a 4th-year UWSOP PharmD student, has been nominated to be a part of the 2nd Annual Latino Center for Health (LCH) Student Scholars Fellowship program. This program recognizes outstanding students who have demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting the health and well-being of Latinx communities in Washington State.
“This fellowship program empowers students like me to continue making a difference in Latinx communities,” said Roberto, who grew up in a small agricultural town just outside of Yakima, WA, and began working in fields and warehouses when he was 13 years old.
“Most of the people I worked with were Hispanic, and my community was predominantly people of Latin descent,” he said. “As I grew older, I realized that there were many disparities in Latinx communities. These experiences directly influenced my commitment to promote the holistic well being of Latinos.”
For his Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE), Roberto returned to Yakima so he could serve the community in which he grew up. This turned out to be an extremely rewarding experience.
“Because the patient population was predominantly Hispanic, I was able to use my Spanish to provide vaccinations and medication counseling to patients,” said Roberto. “As a future Latino health care provider, I believe it’s my responsibility to give back to my community, and I hope my efforts and commitment will continue to positively impact future generations.”
The LCH Student Scholars Fellowship program includes a stipend of $6,000 distributed throughout both winter and spring 2021 quarters.