One of the top 10 recipients nationwide, out of 85 total recipients, to receive the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award, Aleena Thomas will receive her Pharm.D. and a Master of Public Health from UConn in May. With her passion for helping underserved populations continuing in a post-graduate community-based residency track at Tufts next year, Aleena reflects on the last seven years she’s spent as a Husky.

Born and raised in West Hartford, Aleena grew up with her older brother and parents, both Indian immigrants. With many family members in healthcare careers, including her mother, Aleena became interested in pursuing a path in healthcare from a young age. Her passions for public health and pharmacy gradually emerged as she saw family members struggling to understand their doctors because of language barriers, and her uncle’s journey as a kidney transplant recipient.  

With her heart set on studying pharmacy, Aleena followed in her older brother’s footsteps and became a Husky. Enjoying her first two years as a pharmacy student while wanting more opportunities to explore her passions in public health, Aleena decided to become a dual-degree student as a Master of Public Health candidate. Already excited to dive into a career with lots of patient interaction, Aleena chose to pursue a degree in public health to increase accessibility for underserved communities.  

Read the full article on UConn Today.