Loved the business plan. Made me think like a pharmacy owner and realize all of the complexities involved. Both solidified the value of the local independent community pharmacist and how [you need to be] able to be flexible to meet the needs of their communities. Love all that NCPA provided me in school and does for our retail independent community pharmacies!

This competition allowed me to realize that pharmacy ownership is something that is actually feasible with the right preparation. Ownership sounds intimidating and impossible to some, but this competition gave me hope for my ability to pursue it, and it gave me hope for the future of independent pharmacies.

The two NCPA conventions I went to during pharmacy school were the one where I competed in the business plan competition and the one where I received the scholarship. Those things are specifically what took me to the conferences where I also participated in the great student programming and first started hearing from and being inspired by pharmacy owners. NCPA in my student years (and later at an Ownership Workshop), gave me the foundational skills and confidence I needed to go for it and buy my small-town pharmacy.

The scholarship helped me attend the NCPA convention, which helped me network and better understand opportunities in community pharmacy.

The scholarship helped me offset the cost associated with attending NCPA convention where I had the opportunity to meet and build strong relationship with my now business partners.

Receiving the scholarships and finishing in the top 10 of the business plan competition allowed me an extra opportunity outside of the given benefits of receiving a scholarship. I was able to attend the national convention for 3 years where I was able to meet multiple students with similar interests and current pharmacist involved in independent pharmacy.