Lauren Evans, a rising P3 student in Xavier University of Louisiana’s College of Pharmacy, first found herself drawn to pharmacy as a career path in high school.  Evans was first exposed to her future aspirations through a summer program specifically for minority students at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. During the program, Evans met several alums of Xavier’s COP who were happy to offer their mentorship, their guidance led her to Xavier, and after being awed by the university’s College of Pharmacy programs, Evans ultimately decided to attend the nation’s only historically Black and Catholic university. Boasting one of the top programs for Black pharmacists in the country, Evans received the full-ride Board of Trustees scholarship from the institution, making her choice possible.

“Growing up, I always saw those Gerber baby commercials, and they would always talk about a college fund, so I just thought that was something everybody had,” Evans recounted. “I mentioned it to my parents one day, and they said, ‘You don’t have a college fund.’ So, I have always known that when I was going to college, I was going to have to get scholarships if I was going to be able to pay for it, and that was also a factor in coming to Xavier because they offered me a full-ride scholarship.”

 After completing two years of undergrad, Evans matriculated into the COP where she received a Title 3 scholarship to account for the tuition increase. She also received the Castellon Endowed Scholarship for $1500, which helped supplement some of the additional costs of college life. For Evans, receiving a scholarship allowed her to attend her dream university, but the additional financial aid allowed her to stay.

“Continuing at Xavier, I’ve been able to get more scholarships, and that has been a huge help because financially, as I said, I didn’t have a college fund,” Evans explained.

At Xavier, Evans is thriving and striving toward her academic and career goals in pharmacy. Currently, Evans is a scholar through the Center of Excellence (COE) scholar, a program for minority students that pairs each student with a faculty mentor and gives them research experience. Through the COE, Evans had the opportunity to create and present her own research project at the American Association for Cancer Research Conference, also the first large-scale conference she could attend.

“I’ve really been able to gain a lot of experience so far, and I think that’s been the biggest asset because as I matriculate through the [COP] program and eventually go on to apply for possible fellowships or residencies, I will have experience under my belt,” said Evans.

Research is something that Evans always knew she wanted to do, and being at Xavier and being able to be a part of the COE Scholar Program has given her and other students the chance to participate in research that minority populations are usually underrepresented in. For Evans, she knows that the scholarships she has received made everything possible for her, and that she wouldn’t be where she is today without them. She is immensely grateful and looks forward to the world that is at her fingertips as she continues on her journey as a Xavierite and a brilliant professional.