Athena Gutierrez

UConn School of Pharmacy

I was born in Providence, Rhode Island. After my parents divorced, I split my time between Stonington, Connecticut and Cranston, Rhode Island. I received my Bachelors of Science in pharmacy studies in spring 2021, and am now working towards my Pharm.D.

At home, I volunteer with my brother at my town’s local community center. We work in the center’s thrift store, where we organize donations of inexpensive clothing and home goods left by the community for disadvantaged families. At UCONN, I have worked with professors to create pamphlets, online presentations, and posters focused on community outreach. During my senior year, I helped the UCONN Student Health and Wellness center assemble COVID-19 Testing Kits for campus residents. I currently work at Westerly Hospital as a student intern. In this role, I interview patients, prepare sterile products for in-patient use, and deliver medication around the hospital.

I sought to join the Urban Service Track/AHEC Scholars (UST/AS) Program in order to focus my career on providing quality health care to urban underserved populations. I want to learn to be an effective advocate for patients in these populations, and to work with professionals from other medical disciplines to ensure these patients’ needs are met. I want nothing more than to see these communities thrive and, as a pharmacist, to help them in whatever way I can.