Jennifer Akosa ’20 (Pharm.D.) was named the 2019-2020 National Mental Health Chair of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) at the organization’s national convention held in Houston at the end of July.
In announcing Akosa’s appointment, Kimberly Lewis, Pharm.D., BCACP, executive director of SNPhA said, “Jennifer is the third Mental Health Chair of our organization. [Her selection] was based on how well-prepared and organized she was for her interview and the fact that she had done extensive research on areas of improvement for mental health in our underserved communities and she had also developed potential avenues for SNPhA to explore.”
She further stated that one of the things SNPhA is focusing on this year is serving young people, and that Akosa has ideas on how to target specific subpopulations, including youth and how bullying affects them. Her presentation also spoke to how women can handle postpartum depression. This made her a strong candidate for the position.
SNPhA is an educational service association of pharmacy students who are concerned about the profession of pharmacy, healthcare issues, and the poor minority representation in these areas. The purpose of the organization is to plan, organize, coordinate, and execute programs geared toward the improvement of the health, educational, and social environment of minority communities.
Akosa has been involved with the organization since her freshman year as a pre-Pharmacy student at UConn. She has served as chapter treasurer, delegate, legislative chair, and Remember the Ribbon Chair, the organization’s initiative to promote HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. Her involvement with SNPhA also significantly contributed to her founding of UConn’s Honors for Diversity, an organization of students within the Honors program that focuses on cultivating a supportive and respectful multicultural environment within in the UConn community.
In her position on the board of SNPhA as Mental Health Chair, Akosa says her vision is to, “push forward and work together both at home and globally. From veterans to young people, we can expand the kinds of underserved communities we reach.”
Akosa, a member of the School of Pharmacy’s Leaders Track program and a pharmacy student Ambassador, will receive her Pharm.D. in 2020. In 2018, she received the Donald L. McCullough Leadership Award, the University’s highest student leadership honor. As an undergraduate, she received UConn’s Emerging Leader Award that is presented to a first or second year student who has actively demonstrated leadership ability through their actions and character.
Andrea Hubbard, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Leaders Track Coordinator says of Akosa, “She clearly demonstrates initiative and excellence in pursuing a career in health care and is enhancing her leadership skills as she prepares for the future. In addition to her pharmacy studies, Jennifer is on track to complete her MBA from the University of Hartford in 2020.”
As for that future, Akosa looks forward to a career in the pharmaceutical industry where she hopes to use her training in neurological and psychiatric disorders to expand mental health awareness and treatment. She says, “What resonates with me is breaking down the barriers surrounding mental health issues. If we can normalize statements [such as] ‘I have struggled with my mental health and I am working on it’ we will have made considerable progress.”
