"One door closes and another one opens"
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the saying goes, "One door closes and another one opens." John Frederick, past President of HSOP Student Council must be thinking similar thoughts since he's passed the torch, so to speak, to current President, Shay Smith. In fact, Shay must be having his own thoughts on the subject. As one term ends and another begins, we feel it's fitting that John says a few words in parting, and that Shay has the opportunity to express his vision of the Student Council in 2003. John and Shay participated in separate interviews for this news article; the content of each follows:
John Frederick Shay Smith John hails from Hamilton, Alabama, a small town about 100 miles northwest of Birmingham. He graduated from Hamilton High in 1993. Like so many other young people before and since, at that point he had no idea what direction he would take in life. He spent two years taking various classes at Bevill State Community College in Hamilton without declaring a major. During that time he was also working part time as a cook at a fast food drive in, similar to Sonic. Still undecided about his future, he dropped out of college for a while to take a full time job in what he describes as a "trailer plant." No doubt, John began showing his leadership skills during this time because he was soon promoted to a cost analysis "office" job. John held this position for 2 years, but during that time, fate stepped in. He was 22 years old, still not knowing what he wanted to do, but knowing he wanted something with more of a future. "One day," John says, "I was having a discussion with my mother about my situation when she mentioned pharmacy. I thought to myself, 'pharmacy?' I didn't know the first thing about it, however I began to look into it. I would read the Pfizer Guide to Career Opportunities during my breaks at work. The more I learned about pharmacy, the more interested I became, and the more I encouraged myself that I had what it takes to become a pharmacist." The rest is fast becoming history.
As to his service as President of the Student Council this past year, it was obvious to the faculty, staff and students that John was bent on being a good communicator, among other things. He was ever faithful to let the whole school know, through email, about what was going on in Student Council. What other qualities did he bring to the office? Well if you ask John, he'll tell you he "didn't bring as many as he left with." He says, "I tried to be very organized and very thorough. I also tried to be an attentive and understanding listener to both students and faculty. I was very fortunate during my term to have many strong leaders as fellow Student Council members, among them Laura Nealey, Derek Reif and Jessica Starr, and of course the other four officers of the Student Council: Danna Hatley, Shay Smith, Katrina Lanza and Tara Smith. The members of the Student Council and the other Student Council officers deserve the credit for making this past year a productive and positive one."
John listed three things as highlights of the year's accomplishments:
1. The development of a Student Council Mission Statement and a set of specific goals for the year. (John credits Mr. Charlie Perry with giving him the idea originally.)
2. Winning the University wide food drive competition between all of the schools in the Fall semester. (See that story also on News and Events. John gives credit to Danna Hatley and the Class Justices, "who deserve kudos for their organization of the drive and rallying the students to a good cause.")
3. The creation of the Student Expectations of Faculty document. (John says he and the Council "hope that it will serve as one of the elements of positive direction in which the school is currently moving.")
About new President, Shay Smith, John says, "Shay is a diligent individual. I believe that he will work very hard to ensure that students are informed and connected considering that the pharmacy building will be undergoing renovation and students will be taking classes in various buildings on campus. I know that he will do a great job as Student Council President." When asked if he had a word of advice for Shay, John replied, "When you have to choose between doing what feels like the right thing and doing what is popular, go with what feels like the right thing. Base all of your decisions on principles, not on whim or emotion. If it turns out that you were wrong, you can always sit back and evaluate the principles you use to make decisions."
What extracurricular activities will occupy John's time now that he's not President? He laughingly replied, "Preparing for rotations, itself, could be considered an extracurricular activity!" John is still an active member of Phi Delta Chi, the Pharmacy Leadership Forum, the Committee on Admissions and Academic Requirements (CAAR), the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), the Academy of Students of Pharmacy (ASP), and the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP). Obviously, John still has plenty of "irons in the fire." He says he plans to " remain active in these organizations until rotations begin and as much as possible during rotations."
As to his plans after graduation, John says, "I'm not sure exactly what I will do after graduation. I hope that rotations help me in that decision. I am seriously considering a residency and entering academia afterwards. I think that I would really love to teach. I also have spent some time entertaining the idea of owning my own pharmacy."
John has these parting thoughts: "I am grateful for the opportunity I had to serve as Student Council President this past year. I greatly appreciate all of the support I received. I hope that I was able to make a difference in the school and I feel that I have learned a great deal about working with people, leadership, and how to be more effective in all that I take on in the future."
Thank you, John Frederick, for a job well done, and best wishes on your career objectives.
Shay is from Livingston, Alabama. He is a graduate of Choctaw County High School. He received a BS in Biology from the University of West Alabama before he came to Auburn. Shay describes his family as being very supportive of anything he ever wanted to do.
Shay has been married to his wife, Tara, for almost 4 years. In fact, Shay and Tara are probably the first husband and wife team to ever hold the offices of HSOP Student Council President and Vice-President. They feel they make a good team on the Council. They both said while they served as Secretary and Treasurer last year they found they could work well together and help each other with their obligations in a unique way since they are married. This led to their decision to run for President and Vice President this year. They say so far it's working out well.
When asked what qualities he brings to the job of President, Shay says he has confidence because he's held many offices in many different organizations throughout his college career. Shay currently maintains memberships in the Alabama Pharmacy Association, Academy of Students of Pharmacy- American Pharmaceutical Association, Kappa Psi Fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, Phi Lambda Sigma National Leadership Society, and the National Community Pharmacy Association. He also held many leadership roles at the University of West Alabama and has continued that active pattern since he's been at Auburn.
What are his objectives as the new President? He believes he is "here to serve the students" above all else. One of his main goals is to work with other members of the SGA to facilitate better communications between faculty and students, always representing the student's voice. "Addressing the obvious stresses associated with being a student in a demanding curriculum, Shay says his biggest goal is to "make it easier for us to be students." Shay wants every student to know that he is open to any suggestions they may have concerning these or any other issues.
Shay says his term of office will be unique because of the extensive renovation of the School. "This will affect the student body significantly," he says. "I hope that even though we will not be in the same building, we can still establish a sense of community among pharmacy students." Shay also hopes to increase activities so that students can come together as a group to socialize in a way which will lessen the often hectic responsibilities and pressures of pharmacy school.
Asked what he thought John Frederick contributed to the Student Council last year, Shay said, "John has made a considerable impact on the Student Council. Not only did he work to establish an SGA mission statement and a list of goals for the year, he also worked to improve communication between faculty and students."
That covers the concerns and plans of Shay's elected office, but what about his future goals? Shay says that early on he decided he wanted a career in the medical field, but he says, "It wasn't until late in college that I decided to pursue a career in pharmacy. What interested me about pharmacy was the evolvement of pharmaceutical care and the move from 'pill pushing' to a more active role in patient care." I guess it's not surprising, then, that Shay plans one day to own his own pharmacy.
Shay Smith, we wish you good fortune in your life's career ambition. We also wish you well in your new role as President of the HSOP Student Council for 2003.