My name is Sharmaine Cubelo and I am a rising third year pharmacy student at Temple University School of Pharmacy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I am a Filipino-American who grew up in a multigenerational household. Growing up my family instilled in me cultural core values of respect, integrity, and hospitality. I have lived my life through the eyes of my immigrant family and have first-hand witnessed the health disparities many minority communities face in this nation. My passion to serve the underserve stems from my love and honor to my family and ignites my desire to make a difference in my community.
Prior to college….
My love for serving underserving communities came into fruition after volunteering for several mission trips in the West Virginia Appalachian Mountains. There I witnessed how rural communities in the United States are severely experiencing health inequity and poverty. These rural communities are subject to poor housing and education, less access to healthcare, and economic hardships.
Introduce your brand
During my undergraduate years, I had the pleasure of serving in the core leadership team of the InterVarsity organization. Through this experience, I was given opportunities to develop student leaders, break the stigma of addressing mental health in my community, and become a part of perpetuating a culture of acceptance and understanding within culturally and ethnically diverse communities. Being a leader in diverse organizations is one of the main reasons I aspire to be a culturally competent pharmacist. This is an aspect of healthcare that is so vital in order to connect and advocate for our patients.
Pre-pharmacy school…
Before entering pharmacy school…
I worked as a laboratory consultant within a pharmaceutical company. Beyond my lab work, I wanted to continue my desire to serve my community and became involved in volunteer work for my organization. I became one of the event coordinators for my team and spearheaded charity events such as our Annual Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light the Night Walk, local food drives, and any events that contributed to local charity work.
