There are many reasons why I chose to pursue a pharmaceutical career and they all point to the most important reason: pharmacy is perfect for my life and is something I have become increasingly passionate about. It all started when I was researching careers with my parents and my dad suggested pharmacy and, simply put, it piqued my interest because at the time it was one of the few things I thought I wouldn't hate doing. A healthcare career has always been my choice for the future, especially since most of my family members work in the healthcare industry. However, I have never been one who could directly help the injured or deal with anything gory, but I am very intrigued by the growing science of pharmacy. The more I continue to explore pharmacy, the more I enjoy learning about it and feel like I could excel in this career. I believe that earning my Pharmacy degree is immensely related to my immediate and long-term goals. Something I like to live by is always challenging yourself because if you keep doing what's easy, you'll never advance or improve. It's already been a challenging journey and I know it will get harder, but challenging myself in school is my immediate goal and I know it will be worth it in the future. It also helps keep things interesting. I know I would be an amazing pharmacist, so I make it a goal to challenge myself every day in everything I do, including my education. This correlates strongly with my long-term career goals. In the long term, I really want to help as many people as possible by moving pharmacy forward. It's a dream to be able to go to a developing country or be part of an organization like the World Health Organization and spread pharmacy knowledge and bring with you... paper... kills. In simple terms, I am smart enough to be a good pharmacist, but not too smart that it hinders my interaction with patients. I am still able to explain difficult things in a way that most people understand. My professional background includes three summers working at a credit union and the time I spent job shadowing, both of which were invaluable. They will help me by giving me a starting point to build my professional career. Work experience is valuable because it allows me to see how things work with “real world” jobs and prepare for my future after graduation. The job shadows I have done will help me decide what exactly I would like to do after my graduation. I hope that all my ideas lead you to the same conclusion I reached: one day I will become a great pharmacist and earning this degree is an important step towards getting there..