Student leader tapped by SNPhA for national office

Keeana Ross has been appointed to serve as the 2020-2021 Region 3 Facilitator for the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA). SNPhA is the educational service association of pharmacy students who are concerned about the profession of pharmacy, healthcare issues, and the poor minority representation in these areas.

“It is certainly an honor to be chosen by her peers to serve in this capacity and a huge honor for your institution,” said Kimberly Lewis, executive director of SNPhA. “We are very proud to have Keeana serve with us for the upcoming year.”

Taking a leadership role with SNPhA strikes a singular chord with Ross.

“I've been committed to the mission of SNPhA since my first month as a pharmacy student,” Ross said. “Serving the underserved through the eight established healthcare focused National initiatives of SNPhA is something that I hold to a very high regard. SNPhA's impact during these difficult times is especially valuable due to the significant impact being felt by underserved populations, specifically.”

Ross, a Virginia Tech graduate who has already earned an MBA from The Citadel in the College’s Pharm.D./MBA concurrent degree program, is a veteran of student leadership across a wide spectrum. She has served as:

• president of the MUSC chapter of SNPhA
• vice president of the Beta Chi chapter of leadership society Phi Lambda Sigma
• director of public relations for the Industry Pharmacists Organization
• chairperson for the Student Society of Health Systems Pharmacists Special Interest Group Internal Medicine

The Presidential Scholars Fellow has also served on MUSC’s Multicultural Student Advisory Board, the Student Interprofessional Society, and Student Minority Mentors in Health, along with numerous College committees. She was won multiple honors and awards, including most recently the 2019 Dottie’s Pharmacy Leadership Scholarship.

Getting a chance to serve SNPhA allows her to leverage all that experience into making a difference on a broader scale.

“Though I've only been an officer on the SNPhA National Board for a month at this point, I have already been afforded many opportunities to make a larger impact, and connect with pharmacy and pre-pharmacy students across the United States,” she said. “Being a part of SNPhA means being a part of something bigger than yourself, and I am honored to lead the 24 chapters of SNPhA Region 3 towards a successful year of being the change we wish to see in the world.”