Mayra Fuentes Pineda
Career changer Mayra Fuentes Pineda knew she wanted to work in the field of healthcare
helping others, especially those from underserved communities and Compton College
provided the educational foundation she needed to pursue a new career direction.
A resident of Lynwood, Pineda earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology at California
State University, Dominguez Hills in 2015 and worked for more than four years at a
mental health treatment facility for youth and teens. While she was proud of her work
helping young people, she didn’t feel it was the best fit for her and realized she
wanted to move from sociology to another healthcare field. “I knew I wanted to go
back to school to continue my education, but I just didn’t know what major to pursue,”
said Pineda.
Then her mother’s struggles as a caregiver for a family member provided Pineda with
some inspiration. “My mother cares for her mother and is a non-native English speaker,”
said Pineda. “I watched her struggle with a language barrier at the local pharmacy
trying to understand the multiple medications prescribed to my grandmother that she
would have to accurately administer. It has been our experience that there are not
a lot of pharmacists that speak Spanish.”
Pineda got to work researching what it would take to become a pharmacist. She learned
that the University of Southern California (USC) offered free workshops that covered
the requirements for entering the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. “I had a lot
of prerequisite classes to complete before applying to pharmacy school, so I spoke
with a counselor at Compton College, which is conveniently located near my home, and
learned that I could take most of my prerequisite classes there,” said Pineda.
She enrolled at Compton College in summer 2019 and completed nearly all her prerequisites
for pharmacy school by spring of 2022. “I received financial aid after my first semester
at Compton College which paid for all my classes, the instructors are super helpful
and attentive, and I used the STEM Center a lot for guidance and tutoring in chemistry,
biology, and math,” she said. “I’m extremely grateful to my biology instructor Mr.
Sidhu, who wrote me a letter of recommendation for admission to the PharmD program.
I had such a good experience at Compton College, and I recommend the college to everyone
who might be interested.”
In September 2021, Pineda applied to three Doctor of Pharmacy programs in California
and was accepted to all three schools. She ultimately chose to enroll in USC’s PharmD
program because it is one of the top-rated pharmacy programs in the country and offers
hands-on clinical experience beginning in the first year. She began the four-year
program in August 2022.
“I chose to study to become a pharmacist so I can use my bilingual skills in underserved
communities either at a pharmacy or a hospital,” said Pineda. “My focus right now
is community pharmacy. This PharmD program exposes students to a lot of different
areas of practice within the pharmacy field, so I have options.” She says a few highlights
so far were receiving her lab coat at “an emotional and motivational white coat ceremony”
during orientation week and participating in a vaccination clinic.
“I would have never thought I would end up at pharmacy school at USC!” Pineda said.
“I’m so grateful to Compton College for offering an affordable foundation leading
to admission to a prestigious PharmD program. It has been a long journey, but I feel
it is worth it.”
