On May 15, Rosie Ann Riley will receive a Doctor of Pharmacy degree that paves the way for her third career. Riley, 45, has been a Marine, a professional wallpaper hanger, and now plans to practice as an oncology pharmacist.
Though proud of her previous careers, which helped pay for her education and support her family, Riley sees being a pharmacist as a higher calling. “I have always felt we were put on this earth to serve others, and there is nothing better than teaching others how to take better care of themselves,” she said.
A native of Madison, Mississippi, Riley attended the University of Southern Mississippi, but had to drop out for financial reasons. She then joined the Marines, served in the Persian Gulf War, and left the service in 1992. The military stint helped finance her return to the University of Southern Mississippi, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice in 1995.
By then a single mom, Riley briefly considered joining the FBI, but decided that career choice would take her away from her daughter, Ivy Lace Riley, born in 1993. With connections made through an acquaintance who was a general contractor, she began working as a professional wallpaper hanger. The job paid well and left her time to parent her daughter.
As her daughter grew older and required less care, Riley began thinking about getting an MBA. “The average salary of graduates was less than what I made hanging wallpaper,” she said. “I decided to look into other fields, and pharmacy was one.” She investigated several pharmacy schools, took the prerequisite courses, and began classes at UTHSC in 2010.
“I chose pharmacy because it allows independence and there is constant learning, so you never get bored like I did with hanging wallpaper,” she said.
Riley readily admits it hasn’t all been smooth sailing, but she said the administration at UTHSC has been behind her every step of the way.
“I love pharmacy, and I love UT,” she said. “The College of Pharmacy administration and staff were so supportive. I have never had so many people believe in me.”
Riley has been active on campus with the Black Student Association, and in the community with health fairs, the American Heart Association and the National Civil Rights Museum.
In the same month Riley receives her diploma at UTHSC, her daughter will graduate Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Jackson State University.
“I am so proud of both mom and daughter for their great achievements,” said Marie Chisholm-Burns, PharmD, MPH, MBA, FCCP, FASHP, dean of the UTHSC College of Pharmacy. “It is a true testament to their love, strength and intellect. I am both humbled and honored to know them and be part of this special celebration in their lives.”
At ceremonies on May 15, 22 and 29, the
University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) will graduate a total of 698 health care professionals in addition to Riley. Six different graduation ceremonies will be hosted by the deans of the six UTHSC colleges.
This year’s graduating class includes 68 African-Americans, 12 Latino-Americans, and 145 graduates who came from out of state to study at UTHSC. In addition, this graduating class comprises 410 women and 288 men. Plus, 26 of the out-of-state dentistry graduates are Arkansans who earned their doctoral degrees from the UT College of Dentistry. Arkansas students come to Tennessee to train as dentists because their state has no dental college.
As Tennessee’s only public, statewide, academic health system, the mission of the
University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region, by pursuing an integrated program of education, research, clinical care, and public service. Offering a broad range of postgraduate and selected baccalaureate training opportunities, the main UTHSC campus is located in Memphis and includes six colleges: Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy.