Cassie Rush, a 2012 graduate of Westerville Central High School, is a first-year Eminence Fellow and student in the Bachelors of Science in Pharmaceutical Science (BSPS) program at The Ohio State University. She has been set on a career in pharmacy for the past several years, and is looking to expand her research experience as she works towards her pharmacy degree. Rush, who was a top scholar at Central, is already making her mark at Ohio State. She was recently featured in the Student Profile section of OSU’s Honors & Scholars Weekly Newsletter, as follows.
Cassie expressed her appreciation for the BSPS program, and says that she was attracted to pharmacy by the wide variety of career paths it offers. “You don't just have to work at a community pharmacy, you can work in a hospital setting, or for different government agencies, insurance companies, there are just so many opportunities.” While Cassie anticipates that her interests will change and grow as she progresses through her program, she is currently interested in pediatric pharmacy, possibly at a specialized children's hospital.
Through a STEM program at Westerville Central High School, Cassie was able to get a head start on college-level coursework, and had the opportunity to explore research before she arrived at Ohio State. She spent part of her senior year assisting with research in the lab of Dr. Robert Curley, working to create all-trans-lycopene products for use in cancer research in labs across Ohio State's campus. When reflecting on her experience, Rush said, “The program sparked my interest in considering research instead of just being a practicing pharmacist.” Rush hopes to take advantage of the research opportunities on campus, but is looking to get experience outside of the lab. “I think I will definitely do some sort of research, but I'm not sure what that is yet. I might try to get more into clinical research rather than working in a lab like I did in high school.”