NSC Student Headed to Pharmacy School

Nisha Patel, NSC Class of 2011

Even at the age of 15, Nisha Patel recognized her calling in life.  She knew she wanted to become a pharmacist.  The first critical ingredients to a career-defining formula came to light during an open house event at Nevada State College.  NSC promised something special - personalized attention inside and outside of the classroom, and learning opportunities found nowhere else in southern Nevada thanks to state-of-the art laboratories and top-notch tenure track faculty with backgrounds from schools like Berkeley and Yale.  Inspired, Nisha took the plunge and enrolled at NSC.

Early uncertainty yielded to a confident plan of action under the direction of academic advisor Adeste Sipin.  Guided by the kind of advice that embodies NSC’s adacemic advising center, Nisha boldly moved forward with a four-year schedule of courses and a blueprint for post-graduation success.  In her mind, the path was clear:  graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from NSC, then gain admission into a pharmacy program.

Inspired by the teaching excellence of her professors at NSC, Nisha blazed a trail of success through every science course she took.  In the words of fellow student Anam Qadir, "If an instructor was mobbed by a throng of students, everyone would run to Nisha for help.”  As time went on and graduation requirements fell like dominoes, Nisha’s lifelong goal began to shift into a tantalizing reality.

A critical milestone emerged in a phone call on Wednesday, March 23.  Before the voice on phone even finished his introduction (“My name is Dr. DeYoung with the University of Southern Nevada . . .”), Nisha knew that the final piece of the puzzle had fallen into place.  With her feet off the floor and her voice in the sky, Nisha celebrated her admission into the doctorate program in pharmacy at the University of Southern Nevada. 

Before the final leg of her journey can begin, Nisha will first reign triumphant at the NSC commencement ceremony this May.  There, she will graduate with a Cum Laude distinction and a well-earned Bachelor of Science in Biology.  Nisha hopes to follow this achievement with dual degrees in pharmacy and business at USN.  After what she has accomplished so far, only a fool would doubt her.