A quick glance at her resumé and you may think that Tierra Jackson has been working professionally for years. Her achievements, leadership roles, recognitions, and strategic endeavors excel beyond what most people accomplish in an entire career.
There is another entry this fourth-year 2023 PharmD candidate from Statesboro, Ga. just added to her resume – President of a major national student organization that boasts a membership of more than 5000, with 120-plus affiliated chapters.
Inaugurated at the annual convention of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) held this past August in Atlanta, Tierra already is hard at work with plans to move the organization forward. As President, she is responsible for choosing and promoting the organization’s yearly theme, which she selected to be “Flip the S.C.R.I.P.T. in 2022-23.” The acronym stands for “Students Creating, Reimagining, and Innovating Pharmacy Together.”
“Flip the S.C.R.I.P.T. challenges and encourages my fellow students and I to create new opportunities for ourselves and the next generation of pharmacists; reimagine what diversity in healthcare should be; and innovate ways to support our communities,” said Tierra.
SNPhA is an educational service association of pharmacy students who are concerned about the profession of pharmacy, healthcare issues and the poor minority representation in these areas. The purpose of SNPhA is to plan, organize, coordinate, and execute programs geared toward the improvement of the health, educational, and social environment of minority communities.
Though she is front and center on the national stage, Tierra has made an indelible mark at UGA and the College of Pharmacy as well. She came to Athens in 2014 to pursue her Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science, and during her undergraduate career, she served as President of the Pre-Pharmacy Society, Vice President and Service Coordinator of the NAACP, and Clinic Manager at Mercy Health Clinic. Entering pharmacy school in 2019, Tierra used her passion for underserved communities and diverse leadership experiences to advocate on many levels. She is a co-founder and vice president of the Black Student Pharmacists Organization (BSPO), the program coordinator for the American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP), a College of Pharmacy student ambassador, and a spring 2021 inductee of Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS). In addition, she has collected outstanding honors, including the UGA Black Faculty and Staff Organization’s Professional Founders Award and the inaugural UGA First Award for a Professional Student, which recognizes an outstanding first generation college attendee.
“Tierra is a bright, ambitious, determined, articulate, and passionate student. Best of all, she has a huge heart for others,” said Dr. Vivia Hill-Silcott, Director of Diversity Programs and Academic Support and the College’s faculty advisor for SNPhA. “She is not just an aspiring leader; she is a leader. I can’t wait to see where she will go next.”
Tierra plans to pursue a career in Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (HSPAL) so that she can improve health outcomes for patients of color on a global scale.
In a Q&A interview, Tierra shared her journey to a national presidency and how the College of Pharmacy guided her along the way. Click here to read her compelling message.
