Last week, first-year pharmacy student Rachel Blocker didn’t practice using a mortar and pestle to compound medicine.

She didn’t practice formulating treatment plans for patients either.

Instead, orientation for Blocker included learning how to cut lumber with a circular saw.

It was Service Day for the PC School of Pharmacy. Blocker was one of several P1’s to volunteer to build a house for those in need.

“A great feeling”

“I enjoyed every minute of volunteering with Habitat for Humanity,” Blocker, of Orangeburg, S.C. said. “It was a great feeling knowing that I was building a home for a family in need.”

Blocker helped build a deck on the house on Augusta Street in Laurens. The volunteer effort was the first time she’d ever used a power tool.

But Service Day wasn’t designed to give students practice using tools that can slice through 2×4’s. The purpose of Service Day is to acclimate new students to the PC School of Pharmacy’s focus on serving others.

“The motto of the school is one of the reasons I chose PC,” Blocker said. “Serving the community is very important to me.

“I take pride in lending a helping hand to anyone in need as well as my community.”

Helping Those in Need

While Blocker was helping build a house, other students, professors, and staff members were volunteering at locations across Laurens County. They spent Service Day:

• packing food for those in need at United Ministries
• switching to fall garden beds at the Community Garden
• beautifying a stretch of Highway 76 in the Adopt-a-Highway program
• preparing Davidson St. Baptist Church for Vacation Bible School

Blocker says that Service Day reaffirmed her decision to become a pharmacist.

“I chose to become a pharmacist because I admire how well respected this profession is and the impact a pharmacist has on their patients as well as their community,” she said.

Learn More

If you’re looking to become a pharmacist and want to learn more about our program, please email or call 864-938-3909.