Watching his grandfather thrive for two decades after two heart attacks is what inspired Jacob Stepp's career choice. "The power of pharmaceuticals has prolonged his life by almost 20 years since his initial heart attack," said Stepp, a Class of 2022 PharmD candidate. "I want to serve others as a way of giving back - as a thank-you to the many doctors and pharmacists who helped extend my grandfather's life."

Stepp's pursuit will now be aided by the Geralynn and Alan Smith Scholarship in Pharmacy. The award is intended for PharmD candidates in good academic standing who display leadership and actively participate in community service and professional pharmacy organizations.

Geralynn B. Smith, a pharmacist by profession, spent the last 20 years of her career directing experiential learning as a WSU Applebaum faculty member. Shortly after her retirement in 2011, Geralynn and her husband, Alan Smith, who was a General Motors market analyst, established their scholarship to help pharmacy students develop as leaders while delivering quality care to patients and their community.

To that end, Stepp holds leadership roles in the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP), through which he will serve as a member of Operation Immunization in 2020-21. Run in collaboration with the Wayne State University Campus Health Center, the program involves promotion and outreach, patient education, provider education, access, and patient retention.

Hailing from Sterling Heights, Stepp is a board member for the Macomb County Pharmacists Association, which focuses on legislation that affects the local community. On campus, he has been elected to serve as 2020-21 president of Fighting AIDS with Nutrition (FAWN) student chapter, which provides educational community programs on the role nutrition plays in the quality of life of HIV/AIDS patients and raises funds to support the purchase of nutritional supplements to be shipped worldwide.

"Partnering with the World Medical Relief through FAWN is an extraordinary experience and helps me remember how fulfilling it is to give back to those in need," Stepp said.

Smith is a FAWN board member and says she was fortunate to meet Stepp, along with other student leaders, last fall before he'd applied for the scholarship, adding, "I'm very happy to know Jacob will benefit from our scholarship and look forward to one day congratulating him in person."

Stepp also anticipates returning to campus once the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted and having the chance to express his gratitude to the Smiths for supporting the next generation of pharmacists. He is one of more than 100 students to earn a Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences scholarship for the 2020-21 academic year. Congratulations to all!