LKS spotlights student and alumni members that are making a difference in their chapters, in their communities, and in the field of pharmacy.
About Jamie:
Hi, my name is Jamie Lynne Ringpis and I’m from Los Angeles, California! I am currently in my P1 year at St. John’s University (Queens, New York) and I have the proud honor of serving as the President of the Alpha Pi chapter this year. Being President is an interesting transition from being Fundraising Chair as I adjust from planning weekly fundraising events, alongside my co-chair, for Project HOPE and Relay For Life, to assisting all of the executive board in planning their respective events while also coordinating with all of the sisters of our chapter. After graduation, I hope to pursue a residency in ambulatory care. In addition, outside of school, I love to travel around the world with my family and just spend quality time with those I love.
Which of our core values (sisterhood, leadership, service, scholarship and integrity) do you feel you most strongly represent and how?
Service! Giving back to the community and to those around me has always been a passion of mine. Whether it be volunteering at my local church’s Fish Fry when I come home for Spring Break, or spending my Saturday packaging “happy boxes” with crafts and toys for children staying in hospitals, I feel that it’s important to take a moment to give back to those around us in any way possible, whether it be big or small. In fact, it’s one of the reasons I’m humbled to be the President of the Alpha Pi chapter because it’s an opportunity for me to give back to the chapter that has given so much to me in the last two years I have been a member.
What pharmacy or LKS related events are you looking forward to in this upcoming year?
I’m looking forward to attending Women Pharmacist Day! It’s an annual event that Alpha Pi hosts to celebrate and honor the positive impact that women pharmacists have in healthcare. It involves a panel of LKS Alumni who will be touching upon the prominence and perplexities of women in health. This year, Alpha Pi has the honor of having the founder of Women Pharmacist Day, Dr. Suzanne Soliman, to kick off the event! Overall, Women Pharmacist Day is a great opportunity for collegiate and alumni members to come together and to learn from one another.
What is your favorite chapter/school tradition?
One of my favorite traditions of my chapter is our Sisterhood Retreat. It happens every Spring, and it’s an opportunity for everyone to get together and be reminded of the many reasons as to why we chose to join LKS. At the last Sisterhood Retreat, we participated in a variety of different activities focusing on each core value. For example, for service, we made a big no-sew blanket out of old t-shirts to be donated to a homeless shelter. For sisterhood, different pictures were taped to each sister’s back and we had to find the “salt” to our “pepper”. Following that, for scholarship, we wrote on a puzzle piece what makes that sister so special and at the end, we assembled all the pieces to make one big puzzle. Our Sisterhood Retreat is definitely a great ending to the year where all of us can just be together and bond amidst our busy lives.
Who do you see as your role model in LKS and why?
The sisters! Every sister in LKS has played a huge part in who I have become to this day. From the life lessons on teamwork and time management, to the personal lessons on patience and integrity, the sisters of LKS are the greatest role models one can ask for. In fact, as an out-of-state student, LKS has become my home away from home and carried me through my fits of homesickness. The sisters have shown me all the love and support that I could ever need in order to help me adjust being so far away from home. Above all, it’s important to have a community of support to be there for you through the good and bad times, especially through pharmacy school. Without their constant guidance and support, I would not be in the same position I am today, and I am forever grateful.
What makes you excited to be a ‘lamb for life?’
I’m excited to be a ‘lamb for life’ because I will always be learning and expanding my knowledge of not only pharmacy but also life. To be surrounded by a community of individuals with different pharmacy careers and different pathways of life will be an incredible support as I figure out what it is I’d love to do with my degree and with my life. Not to mention, the relationships that I have built with all of my sisters is something that I will treasure for the rest of my life and I hope that by being a ‘lamb for life,’ I will be able to give back to the younger years the passion and hope that older sisters have left on me.
