Alyssa Jacobs ’28 is a pharmacy student and president of Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (PCP) at Hawk Hill, an organization dedicated to helping pharmacy students at Hawk Hill prepare for their transition to University City. The Hawk sat down with Jacobs to learn more about her and her new role.

The Hawk: Why did you seek a leadership role in PCP at Hawk Hill?

Jacobs: To become more involved in our PCP community. I was initially, in my freshman year, over at UCity [and] a part of PCP Student Council. One of our deans of the pharmacy school, [Laura E.] Waite, [PharmD, associate professor of clinical pharmacy and assistant dean of PCP student affairs and admission], made a note of starting a club for the new freshmen who are going to be starting over on Hawk Hill, who are also going to be, eventually, a part of PCP. She sent out an interest form for anyone who was interested to join and start up the new club, and I really just joined initially to become more involved and bridge the gap between Hawk Hill and University City.

The Hawk: What responsibilities do you have as president of PCP at Hawk Hill?

Jacobs: It comes with a lot of responsibilities, but basically all of them are shared throughout the entire e board. It’s very important to work as a team. It’s not just, ‘I’m the president, do this, do that.’ We actively work as a team together. Usually, my goal and my job, more specifically as president, includes actively working with other executive board members to ensure quality work, actively setting club goals, working towards those goals and attaining them and then also creating and maintaining a kind, friendly and welcoming environment for all club members.

The Hawk: What is your favorite part of being PCP’s president?

Jacobs: I love being able to lead all of our club members and, more specifically, overseeing with coordinating meetings and ensuring effective communication within the e-board and the class reps. Again, we all work as a team. It’s not just a one-man effort. We all have to work together in order to create a support system for all of our PCP community, and also provide guidance and support to all club members and maintain a positive and inclusive environment. And, also, one of my favorite parts is to actively aim to use any available opportunity to inspire and motivate members to ensure club members’ success within not only our club, but also their academics as they pursue their professional careers.

The Hawk: What is the most rewarding part of your role?

Jacobs: We all work as a team and a group, and we like to create meaningful experiences that show how PCP is a community where there’s so much to learn, and there’s support behind the growth and the journey of moving into your professional years.

Also, when we are successful as a club, and we work as a team in order to ensure all proper information is given to the freshmen as they transition into [PCP], I love this term that we use over here, ‘the PCP Pharmily,’ because we really are just one big community, and we want to make sure we offer that support to all underclassmen who are making the transition from undergrad to their professional years.