No one told Jason Funaro he had to attend UConn.
(It’s true that his parents and paternal grandparents are UConn grads, but his older brother and sister left Connecticut to study at Penn State and the University of Vermont, respectively.)
No one told him he had to become a pharmacist, either.
(It’s true that both his father and grandfather are pharmacists, but all three swear that there was ‘no pressure’ involved in his choice of profession. Even his aunt Carolyn, a 1989 UConn School of Pharmacy graduate who practices in Virginia, never tried to influence him.)
And, no one told Jason that those countless hours spent logging miles on Horsebarn Hill as a member of UConn’s running club (RunUC) would ultimately result in a place on the starting line for the 2017 Boston Marathon.
(But it’s true, and each of those 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Copley Square in Boston on Patriot’s Day 2017 hold a memory that is sure to be relayed to future generations of the Funaro family.)
The Beginning
Starting at the beginning takes us all the way back to the 1950s in the Newhallville section of New Haven, Conn. where Jason’s grandfather, Edmund J. Funaro, Sr. grew up and attended school. He began working at the locally owned and operated Visels Pharmacy on the corner of Dixwell Avenue and Bassett Street when he was 16, operating the soda fountain and earning 50 cents an hour.
Ed, Sr. was bitten by the pharmacy bug and he attended UConn where he not only earned his pharmacy degree in 1961, he also met his future wife, Janet, who graduated in 1960 with a degree in zoology. It was natural that he would begin his career at Visels Pharmacy. Then, one day in 1965, the owner, Milton Morris, announced he was retiring due to ill health and he asked his young pharmacist if he’d like to buy the business.
Sold.
This meant that young Edmund J. Funaro, Jr., one of five siblings, would have some of the same opportunities his father had experienced. Although the soda fountain was gone by then, young Ed found plenty to do at the pharmacy, including stocking shelves and sweeping floors.
When it came time for college, Ed, Jr., decided to carry on the family tradition, both as it pertains to earning a degree in pharmacy, accomplished at UConn in 1983, and in meeting his future wife, Lisa, who graduated in 1982 with a degree in accounting.
He continued on to earn an MBA from the University of New Haven which gave him both the pharmaceutical training and the business acumen to keep the family operation thriving in a climate that is growing increasingly tough for independent retailers.
Ed, Jr. also has certification in Medication Therapy Management, Immunizations, and Naloxone Prescribing, and was named 2016 Pharmacist of the Year by the Connecticut Pharmacists Association.
Both of the Funaros express a deep and abiding commitment to their neighbors. “We’re still a community pharmacy,” the senior Funaro says, “and we have an obligation to our customers and employees. There used to be 11 community pharmacies in this area, and we’re the only one left. We know our customers by name one generation after the next, and we hire their kids to work in the store. It’s not an exaggeration to say we’re a family.”
Ed, Jr., adds, “Many of our customers don’t drive and they depend on us for all sorts of things including prescription delivery. When they come through our doors, we counsel them about their insurance coverage, we notarize legal documents, and we take their utility payments in addition to helping them understand their medications.”
This commitment to family extends, of course, to their own and if there’s one thing the elder Funaros have agreed on, it’s that they have encouraged all their children to discover their individual career paths.
The Next Generation
When Jason, the youngest in the family, was looking at colleges UConn was just one on a list. He liked the idea that it was ‘just far enough’ away from home, that it offered great courses in math and science, and that it was affordable. He also liked the idea of continuing the cross-country and outdoor track activities he’d enjoyed at Haddam-Killingworth High School at either the varsity or club level.
Once here, he says, “I loved UConn for all that it offers. There are so many people to meet, and activities to explore, it turned out to be the perfect choice for me.”
He adds that thought of pharmacy major wasn’t an immediate one, and he’d actually considered math as a major. But as time went on, he found himself taking more and more courses that fit the pre-pharmacy curriculum and on his 20th birthday he came to the realization that he did, indeed, want to enter the PharmD program. Now, as he prepares to graduate, he’s a member of the Rho Chi National Pharmacy Honor Society and is off to Duke University Hospital for his PGY1 pharmacy residency next year.
The youngest Funaro tends to give most of the credit for his success to his supportive family and to the various faculty members who have guided him throughout his UConn career. According to him, things just kind of fell into place once he sorted out his career objectives, and with the guidance of those around him he’s managed to meet his goals thus far.
Marie Smith, Pharm.D. Assistant Dean for Practice and Public Policy Partnerships and Dr. Henry A. Palmer Endowed Professor of Community Pharmacy Practice has a slightly different take on this.
She says, “There have been many times when I’ve seen Jason take the initiative to make things happen. For example, he was interested in taking a new elective I offered on health care payment reform and its impact on pharmacy practice. Due to a schedule conflict, he was unable to take the class yet he approached me about taking it as an independent study.
“The passion and leadership qualities that drove him to seek out this opportunity makes me think of a mentor’s quote: When the student is ready, the teacher will be there.”
Smith adds that working with Jason on this independent study and on an additional ambulatory care research rotation confirmed her impression that he is passionate about his career choice and committed to making a difference as a pharmacist.
The Future
As he approaches commencement, Funaro says that while he shares his father’s and grandfather’s appreciation for the important role community pharmacists play, he’s also looking forward to other experiences in his immediate future. First up is the move to North Carolina where he’ll complete his residency. Then, even more options.
“One of the most meaningful experiences I had at UConn was participating in the Urban Service Track,” he says. “I really consider myself a team player and working alongside other students from different healthcare professions to assist underserved populations was really inspiring. The Urban Service Track reaches the same population that my dad and grandfather serve on a community level and I can still hear Professor Dang (Devra Dang, Associate Clinical Professor of Pharmacy) talking about our obligations as professionals toward helping disadvantaged populations get the medical care they deserve.
“Who knows,” he adds, “in the future I can also see myself possibly working in an academic medical center and even precepting a new generation of pharmacy students. I don’t know exactly what the future holds, but I do know I’m excited about it.”
For more about Jason Funaro, see UConn Today’s commencement feature.
