Leah Mangini

UConn School of Pharmacy, Class of 2017

I am from the small town of Rutland, Massachusetts. I have worked at Walmart Pharmacy in North Windham, Connecticut as a pharmacy intern, and at UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts. I currently work as a pharmacy technician at Boulevard Pharmaceutical Compounding Center in Worcester, Mass. My first exposure to working with urban and underserved populations was when I went on an alternative spring break trip to Atlanta, Georgia with my Public Health House Learning Community. We spent time working with a number of diverse populations including those with autism, the homeless, disabled individuals, and chronically-ill urban patients. To me, UST is a way not only to provide great patient care, but also to connect health care workers with disadvantaged populations. I want to take an active part in closing the gaps in access to and quality of care, and also to learn how to better connect with a variety of patient populations. I’ve always had a strong interest in working with an interdisciplinary team of the sort UST provides, because I believe this is the best approach to patient care. Each profession provides a unique point of view, and together such a team can work to create a complete and comprehensive care plan, individualized to each patient. I believe it is my duty as a future health care worker to advocate for and to help empower underserved populations through primary care and education, as well as by connecting communities to a health care system that is dedicated and accessible.