Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (CPHS) held its annual pinning ceremony on May 7, 2026, to celebrate students entering internships, fieldwork and APPE rotation experiences in the final year of their programs.
CPHS faculty presented Drake University pins and name badges to third-year undergraduate Health Sciences students, second-year Occupational Therapy Doctorate students, and third-year Doctor of Pharmacy students. Over the next year, these students will enter the workforce to gain essential on-the-job experience.
“The pin you will receive serves as a reminder of your program’s professional values and competencies that you will protect in the future,” CPHS Dean Erik Maki said prior to the distribution of pins. “Wear this pin as a reminder of our confidence and pride in you and the honor you have earned in entering the final phase of your journey.”
To assist students with their transition from their coursework to their program’s final year of experiential learning, Dr. Michelle Bottenberg, Professor of Pharmacy Practice, gave a speech providing advice on how to be a transformational leader. Dr. Bottenberg was the 2026 recipient of the College’s Richard Morrow Transformational Leadership Award.
“My advice to you is to soak it all in,” Dr. Bottenberg told the students. “Stay curious about what is going on around you and about who is doing what on your team. Practice active listening and proactively seek out feedback.”
Students will be spread across the state and the country at a variety of different types of healthcare sites. Dr. Charles Phillips, Associate Dean of Curriculum & Assessment, read the names of each student along with where they would be completing their experiential learning in the fall.
Students who received pins and were named during the ceremony included the following:
Health Sciences: Carlos Adams, Mayada Alwan, Olivia Bittner, Alex Buch, Sara Cadwell, John Ching, Isaac Cho, Allison Clare, Jessica Danz, Sonya Dolo, Casey Erickson, Shannon Fornshell, Allison Gause, Natalie Gogoladze, Lucy Grizzle, Ana Gutierrez, Cara Hoang, Alyssa Hodde, Christopher Huynh, Samra Kazic, Jackson Kirsch, Charlee Larsen, Liv Liechti, Maya Uehling Lint, Liliana Magnuson, Mika Marolly, Kaitlyn Miller, Alexander DC Murphy, Keziah Musoba, Nyathak Nam, Jenna Platt, Lyric Price, Lucy Roventine, Mackenzie Sanders, Rylie Schutz, Audrey Walters, Natalee Watts, Adrianna Wright
Occupational Therapy: Faith Alvarado, Dean Andrews, Taylor Bohannon, Joy Clark, Makayla Coutentos, Savannah Ervin, Grace Freeman, Madeline Gilpin, Melanie Hipsher, Kayla Jack, Tessa McCutcheon, Amanda Miller, Maggie Payette, Cana Phillips-Jones, Hanna Reeg, Ashley Rockhold, Allison Schaffer, Talia Slovut, Kalli Yoder
Pharmacy: Mekarim Amro, Alecia Anderson, Keaton Auwerda, Abby Axell, Drake Bauer, Zach Bell, Samana Biswa, Lillian Bitker, Brenden Brass, Davis Bye, Lizette Calalay, Savannah Cavan, Daphne Clausen, Parker Clement, Katie Clemons, Adam Dalati, Katie Dinnebier, Jack Durman, Basil Elayadom, Sarah Elfallah, Corine Ewale, Jackie Fernandez, Brent Fischer, Connor Gerner-Offermann, Frances Gray, Chris Hallum, Ella Hanson, Hannah Hefel, Mikayla Hillman, Samantha Jackson, Audra Jahn, Jothsana Jaimon, Alex Johnson, Stacy Johnson, Kyle Keller, Emily Kim, Nathan Kim, Harun Idris Lari, Preston Lee, Payton Lesniewski, Hannah Lester, Caitlin Luong, Jay Mangels, Hannah Marsh, Sophia Miller, Lillian Monson, Michelle Nguyen, Vivian Nguyen, Talissa Rodriguez, Madeline Smith, Youngji Son, Andrea Speltz, Melissa Stocker, Erin Templin, Lauren Vaaler, Ella Waddle, Renata Walther, Emma Wells, Shelby Woods