Class of 2024 hooded in ceremony on eve of MUSC Commencement

The Awards Ceremony and Hooding Convocation for the MUSC College of Pharmacy Class of 2024 took place at Charleston Music Hall on May 17, 2024.

Before a full house of family, friends, faculty, staff, and students, some 66 members of the Class of 2024 received their doctor of pharmacy hoods in a ceremony highlighted by awards, applause, and a keynote speech by MUSC College of Pharmacy alumna, Jennifer Stephens.

A member of the Class of 1994, Stephens is a vice president at OPEN Health in the US Evidence & Access Practice. She offered the graduates inspiration from her more than 25 years of clinical expertise and international health economics and outcomes research experience.

The Class of 2024 also participated in the MUSC Commencement on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at North Charleston Coliseum.

During the college’s ceremony, a number of students were honored with individual awards or recognized for collective service or achievement.

Student Awards

• Excellence in Clinical Communication Award: Annette Paxton and Jenny Smith
• Merck Academic Excellence Awards: Brenda Maldonado Yanez and Jessica Williams
• Outstanding Community Service Award: Ashley Holloway and Grey Duke
• Outstanding Diversity & Inclusion Award: Brandéa Hardie
• Outstanding Innovation Award: Kathleen Polkowski
• Outstanding Interprofessionalism Award: Ashley Adkins and Julia Smoak.
• Outstanding Leadership Award: Lauren Adams
• Outstanding Pharmacy Practice Award: Kendall Ferrara and Angeleki Zecopoulos.
• Outstanding Professionalism Award: Cassidy Rentz
• Outstanding Research Award: Ahmed Alford and Yusuf Garwan
• Outstanding Scholastic Achievement Awards: Yusuf Garwan (First Honors), Ahmed Albakheet (Second Honors), and Faisal AlMuqbil (Second Honors)
• VIATRIS™ Excellence in Pharmacy Award: Ashton Coker
• William A. Prout Award: Samantha Brace

Rho Chi Society Members

Ahmed Albakheet	Katelyn Price
Faisal AlMuqbil	Madison Price
Samantha Brace	Jacob Pritchard
Ashton Coker	Cassidy Rentz
Elisabeth Cox	Jenny Smith
Taylor Fewox	Julia Smoak
Yusuf Garwan	Kaitlyn Wallace
Mahealani Kanekoa	Charlene Watson
Mattison Lechner	Jessica Williams
Brenda Maldonado Yanez

Phi Lambda Sigma

Lauren Adams	Carolyn Annette Paxton
Samantha Brace	Kathleen Polkowski
Taylor Fewox	Jacob Powell
Ashley Holloway	Katelyn Price
Alexandra Otto	Jacob Pritchard
Maria Paullier	Kristen Bordner Turner

College of Pharmacy Student Ambassadors

Ahmed Albakheet	Simran Patel
Samantha Brace	Maria Paullier
Elisabeth Cox	Carolyn Annette Paxton
Alexander Grey Duke	Katelyn Price
Taylor Fewox	Madison Price
Brandéa Hardie	Neeley Reagin
Ashley Holloway	Cassidy Rentz
Dakota James	Jenny Smith
Mattison Lechner	Kristen Bordner Turner
Casey O’Quinn	Charlene Watson
Dana Olheiser	Savannah Young
Alexandra Otto

Supplemental Instructors

Lauren Adams	Brenda Maldonado Yanez
Samantha Brace	Katelyn Price
Victoria Brooks	Madison Price
Ashton Coker	Jacob Pritchard
Elisabeth Cox	Cassidy Rentz
Grey Duke	Jenny Smith
Taylor Fewox	Julia Smoak
Abigail Frier	Kaitlyn Wallace
Ashley Holloway	Angeleki Zecopoulos
Mattison Lechner

Pharm.D./MBA

Jennifer Bailey	Madison Price
Samantha Brace	Jacob Pritchard
Mattison Lechner	Neeley Reagin
Caroline Polutta Oliver	Jenny Smith
Kathleen Polkowski	Julia Smoak

Pharm.D./MSHI

• Victoria Brooks
• Chad Harle

Interprofessional Education Fellowship

• Ashley Victoria Adkins
• Elisabeth Cox
• Taylor Fewox
• Kristen Bordner Turner
• Tharyar Myatnoe Wilm

AHEC Scholar

• Brandéa Tiara Hardie

Presidential Scholars

• Lauren Adams
• Abigail Frier
• Brandéa Hardie
• Ashley Holloway
• Kathleen Polkowski
• Cassidy Rentz
• Angeleki Zecopoulos

Military Veterans

• Ahmed Alford
• Alexandra Carlson